


X-Patrol: Chapter 30 – Reunions

by thebasement_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Crossover, Fiction, M/M, Mpreg, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-14
Updated: 2006-03-14
Packaged: 2018-11-20 07:27:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 56,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11331201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebasement_archivist/pseuds/thebasement_archivist
Summary: Krycek is reunited with his parents after thirty-three years, and other characters are reunited with people from their past.





	X-Patrol: Chapter 30 – Reunions

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Basement](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Basement), which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Basement's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thebasement/profile).

X-Patrol: Chapter 30 – Reunions

## X-Patrol: Chapter 30 – Reunions

### by Jo B

##### [Story Headers]

  


Title: X-Patrol: Chapter 30 - Reunions 

Author: Jo B 

Keywords: M/Sk, D/K, J/B, D/M, F/V/K, L/S Slash, AU, mpreg, crossover: X-Files/The Sentinel/Highlander/Due South/Homicide LOTS/LotR 

Rating: NC-17 

Chapter Summary: Krycek is reunited with his parents after thirty-three years, and other characters are reunited with people from their past. 

Disclaimer: The X-Files are the property Chris Carter, 1013 productions and Fox Broadcasting. The Sentinel belongs to Pet Fly Productions, UPN, and Paramount. Highlander is the property of Rysher/Panzer/Davis/Gaumont/Fireworks. Due South belongs to Alliance Communication. Homicide Life on the Street is the property of NBC and its related companies. No money is being made from their use. 

Author's notes: This is an awfully long chapter, but I wanted to cover all of the reunions in this one. 

Warning! This story contains romance between two men. Turn back now, if the subject matter offends you. 

Warning! Warning! This story contains male pregnancy! Eek run for your lives! 

Archive: Yes, just leave my name attached. 

Web site: http://slashingmulder.com/JoB/ 

Tarot Cards: http://slashingmulder.com/JoB/Tarot/tarotcards.htm 

PDF of Chapter 1 - 18: http://www.slashingmulder.com/JoB/XP_book1.pdf PDF of Chapter 19 - 29: http://www.slashingmulder.com/JoB/XP_book2.pdf Who's who: http://slashingmulder.com/JoB/XP_CharacterList.pdf 

Special thanks to my beta-readers Joey and Cynthia. 

* * *

Chapter 30  
X-Patrol 

Reunions 

The Dog 

Easter 

Seventeen days had passed since Doggett had given birth. It had been a difficult time for him and Alex as they adjusted to taking care of three infants. Luckily they had support from the other men, and Sonja had been out every day to help with diaper changing and laundry. Her help allowed Doggett some time for himself to exercise and catch up on his sleep. It had been especially difficult to get the infants ready for their first trip off the mountain. 

Everyone from their mountain community had been invited to Paul Doggett's farm to celebrate Easter. Walter and Jim had gotten their hands on four, twelve-seat executive vans that they had stored in Ranger Smith's pole barn. They thought it would be easier to drive the vans whenever they took group trips off the mountain with their kids. Since there were forty-six people including children living on their section of mountain, they had just enough room in the four vans. Langly had claimed one of the vans for the gunmen that he wanted to custom paint, so it didn't look so dorky. 

Wade and Sonja rode in the van with Doggett and Alex to help with the triplets. Early that morning, before sunrise, the two elder Skinners had shown up at Moonridge Lodge with five colorful Easter baskets for the older children. They had placed the baskets in the children's bedrooms while they were still sleeping. When they woke, the house was filled with squeals of delight. The children knew all about the Easter bunny from their storybooks but never thought he'd show up at their home to deliver baskets filled with sweets for them. 

The weather was pleasant as Doggett sat on a wooden bench with his back against one of the long tables his Daddy had set up for the outdoor barbecue. With over fifty people invited to the farm, serving the meal indoors was out of the question. In the living room of the large Victorian farmhouse, the furniture had been moved so seven cribs could be set up with two babies per crib. Only Jasmine Banks who was older than the other babies had her own crib. The babies' parents were taking turns watching them with three of them on babysitting duty in the living room at all times. It was Naomi, Jim, and Ray's turn for the next hour. 

Before heading over to the farm, Doggett and Alex had used the breast pumps and filled a few bottles with milk for the triplets. Unfortunately, Doggett could already feel his tightly bound breasts filling with milk again. He really did not enjoy this aspect of motherhood and had been thinking about weaning the babies early and getting them used to goat's milk, so he and Alex could lose the boobs. Alex had been none too happy when he had started lactating again. 

Doggett decided that he would switch over to goat's milk when the triplets were three months old, but there was time to think about that later. Right now he was enjoying the beautiful mild day, while watching the children hunt through the yard for hard-boiled Easter eggs that his brother Mike had colored and hidden. When the kids got older the eggs would be hidden around the entire farm not just the front yard. It was enjoyable watching the excitement on their faces whenever one discovered a hidden egg. 

"Look, Daddy!" Gwen squealed happily as she ran over to Doggett carrying a pastel colored Easter basket. "I found three eggs." She set the basket on his lap with three brightly colored, eggs inside. 

"You did really well," Doggett said, praising her. "Are you going to share the eggs with your papa and me?" 

"Yes." She smiled proudly. "You can have the yellow egg and papa gets the pink egg." 

"And the blue egg is yours," Doggett said, knowing that Gwen's favorite color was blue. 

Lifting the basket off Doggett's lap, Gwen said, "I'm going to see if I can find eggs for Pauley, Nicky, and Marty." She turned and hurried back into the yard and over to the long white picket fence. 

Meldrick Lewis came strolling over to the table. He had arrived at the farm with Mike Kellerman and Michael Giardello. Doggett had since found out that they were the three men that Walter and Alex had rescued from the rats outside of Baltimore. The men also turned out to be friends and former colleagues of Tim Bayliss and John Munch both of who were also at today's Easter celebration, along with Sheriff Moe Fife and Mayor Megan Flanagan. All the businesses in Holton were closed for Easter and only a small number of police officers were on duty. 

"Cute kid," Lewis said as he sat next to Doggett. 

"Thanks." Doggett turned slightly to face Lewis. "So did you enjoy the tour of the farm?" 

"Yeah, your dad has a really nice place here," Lewis said. "Mind if I ask you a question?" 

"It depends on the question," Doggett said. 

"Is he really pregnant?" Lewis asked, nodding toward Fox who was leaning against Walter as they watched Aviva add an egg to her basket. 

At almost six month's pregnant it was pretty obvious, and Fox did nothing to hide his condition since everyone there already knew with the exception of Lewis, Giardello, and Kellerman who only found out a little less than an hour ago from Tim Bayliss. 

"Don't you believe Tim?" Doggett asked. He hadn't been all too happy about Tim telling his friends about them. 

"That's not much of an answer," Lewis said. 

"You've seen the babies in the house," Doggett said casually, "where do you think they came from?" 

"This is so ...out there," Lewis said, waving his hand over his head. "Well, I'm not buying it ...you and the other men are too masculine to be half female." 

"We aren't half female, we just have a few extra parts than other men," Doggett said firmly, trying to ignore the discomfort of his bound breasts. "I used to be as skeptical as you are, but I've been through too much to remain close-minded." 

"Yeah," Lewis said, "Tim mentioned that you and Mulder both used to work for a department at the FBI that investigated aliens." 

"It was Mulder's life work," Doggett said. "I only became involved after he was abducted by them. I didn't believe in aliens back then, it took seeing their spaceships destroy D.C. to make me a believer." 

"Michael says that Mulder was a legend at the FBI." Lewis sipped from a cold bottle of beer while they talked. 

"Fox had a reputation as a cracked genius, he took a lot of undeserved flack from other agents," Doggett said soberly. "When he was twelve his sister was abducted while he was babysitting her, and finding her had become his obsession." 

"Did he?" 

"Sort of," Doggett said, deciding not to get into the whole she was rescued by starlight people. "He found out she had died long ago after suffering through years of a painful experiments in a secret government sponsored program." 

"Whoa," Lewis set the beer down and leaned forward. "Are you saying that our government was experimenting on children?" 

"Men, women, and children," Doggett said, "It was a secret section of the government. Very few members of the Congress or Senate would have been aware of the program, and it was also international in nature ...a true global conspiracy." 

Alex came over to the table, holding Gwen's hand while carrying her Easter basket. "Our princess took second place in the egg hunt." 

"Congratulations, sweetie." Doggett pulled her up on his lap and gave her a hug. 

"Connor and Joey tied for first," Gwen said. 

Doggett had watched the two little boys working as a team; while he wouldn't go so far as to say they were cheating, Joey appeared to locate the eggs by their scent then he and Connor would split the eggs between them. Those two were becoming inseparable. 

Alex placed the basket on the table. "The buffet is ready if you want to grab a plate." 

"I'm starving." Doggett stood with Gwen in his arms. "You can tell me what you want on your plate," he said to her before turning to Lewis. "It was nice talking to you." 

"Likewise," Lewis said. 

Paul had made the kids' favorite meal; beans and franks with corn bread and creamy coleslaw. Gwen said she wanted one rib with her beans and franks. Joe and Blair helped Joey and Connor fill their plates while Walter and Fox took care of serving the twins before filling their own plates. 

"I like eating outside," Connor said excitedly as he sat next to Joey. 

"Me, too," Joey said. 

Liz smiled. "It's nice this time of year when there are no flies or bees around." She was dressed in a yellow sundress with a white Easter hat. 

Kellerman sat across from her. "Melvin was saying you were going to erect a dome for a clinic in the mountains." 

"Yes," Liz said. "We've started clearing the land for it and digging the ditch for the septic tank and leach fields." 

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to come up and help," Kellerman said. "I think learning about what's involved in building a structure out in the wilderness would be useful." 

"Your help would be appreciated," Liz said. "If you want a real learning experience you should help the men at Moonridge Lodge with their addition. They can teach you everything you need to know about building a home from logs." 

"I'd like to help as well," Michael Giardello said. 

"Count me in," Lewis said from the other table where he was sitting and chatting with the Banks and Doctor Sam Jones. 

Sheriff Fife who was getting up for a second helping of ribs, paused and said, "We're not very busy if you men want to take a few weeks off and help with the clinic and the addition, go right ahead. Of course if there's a sudden crime wave I'll be ordering you back to work." 

"Cool," Kellerman said. "Thanks, Sheriff." 

Doggett understood Kellerman's desire to learn how to be self-sufficient. Even with Holton prospering these were still uncertain times. 

He glanced over at the grill where his daddy was taking off another rack of ribs. A week ago Doggett had infected him with the Lycan virus, and daddy seemed to be holding up well. He had a fresh batch of feverfew that was keeping him well enough to work around the farm. Tim Bayliss had infected Mike a few weeks earlier. It made Doggett feel better knowing that his daddy and brother would be with him for decades, if not centuries, longer. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Rooster 

Tuesday, March 29, 2005 

The previous day, Mike Kellerman had helped dig and frame the cellar for the main dome of the clinic. They had used a large backhoe that Ace Construction Company provided them for the day. The cellar would be used to store supplies for the days during the winter when either Liz or Laura might be stuck at the clinic. Kellerman had studied the plans for the domes; on the first level of the larger of the two domes would be a living area with a kitchen, dining room, family room, two bedrooms, one and a half baths, and a laundry. On the second level would be a laboratory for the clinic. The large dome was connected to the smaller clinic dome by a reception area. The clinic would have a waiting room, two exam rooms, and two hospital rooms, along with two bathrooms. The steps down to the cellar would be located outside with two horizontal cellar doors that went down beneath the kitchen pantry. 

Kellerman had enjoyed his first day of volunteer work at the clinic site. The work was much different than sitting behind a desk waiting for a call in the violent crime section of the Holton Police Department. Although he enjoyed being a detective again, at times he wanted to try something different. This morning they were working on the foundations for the two domes and the reception area. 

Around noon, Chef Anton arrived driving a UTV with a cooler containing their lunch and another one containing cold beverages. 

"I'm famished," Lewis said as he set down the drill. 

Working at the job site that morning was: Wade Skinner, Simon Banks, Frohike, Langly, Spender, Giardello, Lewis, Kellerman, and Fraser. All the men set down their tools and walked over to the two picnic tables that had been brought to the site. 

"What do you have for us today?" Wade asked. 

"Philly cheese steak sandwiches," Anton said, lifting the lid on the cooler where the insulated container kept the sandwiches hot. They were individually wrapped in white butcher paper. In another cooler he had cold drinks. "The other work crews are making nice progress on the four dome homes across the street from Seacouver's." 

"We noticed they had the frames up," Giardello said. 

"It should only take us less than a day to get the frames assembled," Frohike said as he unwrapped a sandwich. 

"What's it like living up here?" Kellerman asked. 

"Peaceful," Frohike said. 

"It's not too bad since we've gotten electricity," Langly said. 

"The people living on our section of mountain all get a long," Simon added. "A person couldn't ask for better neighbors." 

"You could say that again," Wade said with a smile. 

They continued eating their lunch while talking amicably and enjoying the weather. 

Studying his companions, Kellerman wondered how many of these men were capable of becoming pregnant. After meeting the very pregnant Fox Mulder at the Doggett farm on Easter, for the first time in his life Kellerman found himself sexually attracted to another man. He knew it had everything to do with Mulder being a hermaphrodite. Kellerman also noticed a difference between the men from Moonridge Lodge, while they were all good-looking; three of them appeared to have been more outwardly touched by this so called Lycan virus than the other three. Same with the men from Wolf's Peak, he glanced over at Fraser who was talking to Spender. There was an otherworldliness to both of them, more so than was evident in Frohike, Langly, and Simon. Kellerman believed that difference stemmed from them being full hermaphrodites instead of partial hermaphrodites. Bayliss had explained the differences, and Kellerman hadn't felt any real attraction to him, so there was something about full hermaphrodites that seemed to arouse his ardor. 

"We better get back to work," Wade said. "I would like to get started on the frame before we call it quits for the day." 

They stood and went back to work. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Fox 

Tuesday, April 19, 2005 

Mulder stood naked in front of the dresser mirror, studying his body. When he was pregnant with the twins, he didn't have a mirror or any way to view the physical changes happening to him. At six months his belly was nicely round and his breasts had filled out slightly, while the rest of his body was lean and taut. He kept in shape by walking and doing prenatal exercises. Crevan suddenly kicked and Mulder placed his hands on his belly, feeling his son move was a wonderful sensation. 

Opening the dresser drawer, he pulled out a pair of boxers and socks. He had no problem pulling on the underwear--the socks were another matter. He still had enough reach around his belly that he could just get them over his toes. 

"Let me give you a hand," Walter said, coming into the bedroom through the tarp that was hanging over the doorway to their future bathroom. On the tarp was taped a 'No Peeking Fox!' sign, since Walter wanted to bathroom to be a surprise. 

Mulder handed him the socks. "How's the bathroom coming?" 

"It's done." Walter set the socks on the dresser. "You can put these on after your bath." 

"Done?" Mulder smiled at the thought of finally having a bathroom just for him and Walter. No more traipsing through the kitchen to get to the old bathroom. 

"Close your eyes, and keep them closed until I tell you to open them," Walter said, leading Mulder into their new bathroom. 

Mulder couldn't wait to see the room. It took Walter and his father over a month to complete the bathroom, which was far longer than they had spent on any other bathroom projects. This morning the men were going to start construction on the new addition on their log home, which would probably take them the whole summer to complete. 

The smell of eucalyptus permeated Mulder's senses, clearing his sinuses and soothing his soul. He felt cold smooth tile beneath his feet then the soft fibers of a rug. 

"Okay, you can open them." 

Opening his eyes, Mulder gasped. The walls were logs like the rest of their house, but everything else was different. Skylights were over the large custom made bathtub. The deep tub was filled with steaming fragrant water and looked so inviting. A beautiful stained glass window behind the bathtub provided a warm glow to the room as the early morning sun shown through it. The window was of a forest filled with animals and birds. "Walter, that window is a work of art. It must have taken you forever to cut the smaller pieces." 

"Do you like it?" 

"I'm beyond words..." Mulder looked down at the Italian marble floor and over at the separate shower stall with multiple sprays, dual sinks, and a door that led outside to a small stone patio with a caf pub table and chairs. It didn't hurt to have a father-in-law who was a plumber. 

Walter placed his hands on Mulder's round belly. "I wanted to give you something to show how much you mean to me ...a place where you can escape for a relaxing break away from the kids." 

"You succeeded royally," Mulder said, wrapping his arms around Walter's body. "We're going to have some fun times in this room." 

"Let me help you off with your boxers then you can spend as long as you want soaking." 

"What about our munchkins?" Mulder asked, stepping out of his boxers. "They'll be getting up shortly." 

"Don't worry about them, just get in the tub." 

Mulder stepped into the bathtub and lowered himself into the hot fragrant water. 

"Here." Walter handed him a glass of ice-cold ginger ale--the drink of choice for pregnant men. 

"You're spoiling me." Mulder smiled contentedly. 

"I think you're worth it." Walter walked over to the doorway and took down the tarp. "We don't need this anymore." He was going to install a custom door into the opening as soon as he finished the stained glass inset for it. It would match the window and go the entire length of the door. 

Folding the tarp, Walter walked into the bedroom out of sight. Mulder closed his eyes and sunk deeper into the tub. A few minutes later, a foul stench reached his nose just before Walter stepped into the bathroom carrying Chloe dressed in her pajamas. Their daughter was crying miserably. 

"What's wrong?" Mulder asked, looking at them and noticing that Walter's shirt was covered with vomit and his arm was smeared with brown shit. 

"Chloe is sick, she threw up and has diarrhea," Walter said, scrunching his nose at the smell. "Do you mind if I put her in the tub with you, so I can clean up the mess and get a thermometer." 

"What about Aviva? Is she all right?" Mulder asked, watching as Walter set Chloe on her feet and started to undress her. 

"Avi seemed fine." Walter grabbed and wetted a washcloth then he tenderly cleaned Chloe while she whimpered sadly and swayed on her feet. "But if this is the flu then all of the kids will probably come down with it." 

"My tummy hurts," she sniveled with tears and snot running down her chin. 

"My poor, baby," Walter said, lifting her up. "Let's get you in the bathtub with mommy, so he can make you feel better." 

Mulder took their daughter into his arms and kissed her forehead. He then picked up a washcloth and washed Chloe's face and did a more thorough job of bathing her. 

Walter removed his shirt then washed up quickly at the sink before leaving the bathroom, carrying his and Chloe's soiled clothes. He came back a few minutes later with the ear thermometer that he handed to Mulder. "I'm going to grab a quick shower." 

"Papa," Connor said from the doorway. 

"What is it, Connor?" Walter asked, bending to pick him up like he did every morning for a hug and a kiss. 

Noticing the green cast to their son's face, Mulder tried to warn Walter, "I think Connor's about to..." 

Too late, projectile vomit hit Walter square in the face as their son empty his stomach. The whole thing was so comical that Mulder would have laughed but the expression on Walter's face told him now wasn't the time to find it funny. 

Instead he stood with Chloe in his arms and climbed out of the bathtub. "I'm going to put Chloe in our bed then I'll be right back to help you with Connor." Mulder grabbed a towel and wrapped it around their daughter and carried her into the bedroom, leaving a trail of water behind him. After drying her, he tucked Chloe into bed then dried himself. 

"I'll be right back with a clean pair of pajamas for you, clover," Mulder murmured. 

"Mommy, I no feel good," she sobbed. 

"It's going to be all right." Mulder kissed her forehead. "Close your eyes and try to go to sleep." He retrieved his robe from the armoire and pulled it on then hurried into the bathroom. 

Walter was still standing in the middle of the floor with vomit running down his face and chest. He was holding Connor who was bawling loudly. 

Mulder took Connor from him. "Go take a shower, Walter, I'll bathe Connor and get him in bed with Chloe." 

"I'm sorry, Fox." Walter sighed as he stripped off his sweatpants. "I wanted you to have a little time to yourself to enjoy the bathroom." 

"The bathroom isn't going anywhere and I'm going to get a lot of enjoyment out of it. Go take your shower then you can help me with the kids." Kneeling, Mulder removed Connor's one-piece pajamas as Walter stepped into the shower. 

"Daddy, I need to poop," Connor whimpered. 

Mulder quickly led Connor over to the toilet that was in a separate room next to the shower. It was a feature Mulder had requested because there would be times when he might want to bathe the children in this bathroom, and it would be nice to have a little privacy if he needed to use the toilet. In the room was another skylight that provided plenty of light; there was also a ceiling light and a magazine rack. 

Like Chloe, Connor had diarrhea. Luckily he had been able to hold it until he was on the toilet. Mulder wiped his son's butt then lifted him up and carried Connor into the bathroom, avoiding the vomit on the floor as he walked over to the bathtub and set him in the warm water. It was up to his chin, so Mulder started the tub draining while he bathed Connor, by the time he was done the water was at waist level, and Walter had finished his shower and was drying himself. 

"How is he?" he asked. 

"Hot," Mulder said, lifting him out of the bathtub. "I'm going to put him to bed with Chloe then check on the other kids. Do you want to clean up in here after you dress?" 

"Sure." Walter followed Mulder into the bedroom. 

Mulder put Connor in bed next to Chloe then hurried out of the room. Blair was up fixing breakfast. 

"How are Joey and Sarah?" Mulder asked. 

"Joey's still sleeping, which is odd; he's usually up by now," Blair said. "Jim is nursing Sarah." 

"Connor and Chloe are sick, we think it might be the stomach flu," Mulder said, walking over to the bedroom to check on Joey. 

Blair was quicker and beat him into the bedroom. He knelt next to his son's bottom bunk, placing his hand on Joey's forehead. "He feels hot." 

The little boy whimpered. 

"Joey, how are you feeling?" Blair asked. 

"Tummy hurts." 

"It appears he has it, too," Mulder said. "Chloe and Connor vomited and had diarrhea, you'll probably want to get him into the bathroom." 

"C'mon, Joey." Blair picked him up. 

Mulder opened the dresser drawer and grabbed a fresh pair of pajamas for Connor. He'd go upstairs and check on Gwen and Aviva after he had Connor dressed. Stepping out of the bedroom, Mulder watched as Jim rushed through the kitchen and into the bathroom. 

Pausing, Mulder heard Jim ask. "What's wrong with Joey?" 

"Stomach flu," Blair said. 

In the bedroom, Walter was sitting on the mattress, taking Chloe's temperature. "102," he said. "I think we should radio Liz and see if she can come over and examine them." 

"Joey's sick, too," Mulder said, pulling the blanket down he started to dress Connor. 

"I better go upstairs and check on Aviva and Gwen again," Walter said. 

"Maybe you should don your raincoat." Mulder flashed him a smile. 

Walter glared at him, clearly not amused. "Stay with these two, I'll be right back." 

"Bring Chloe's pajamas," Mulder called after him then he sat on the bed and placed his hand on Connor's forehead. "Your Papa has no sense of humor." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Rat 

Krycek stripped the vomit-stained sheets and waterproof mattress pad off his daughter's bed, while John gave Gwen a bath. Setting the soiled bedding on the floor, the former CIA agent picked up the freshly laundered sheets still warm from the drier. 

"Do you need any help, dear?" Sonja asked from the doorway. 

"I sure do." Krycek smiled at her. "Would you mind washing another load of sheets?" 

"That's what I'm here for," she said, walking into the room and picking up the soiled sheets from the floor. "I'll collect the dirty diapers from the hamper in the bathroom, too." 

"Thanks, Sonja." Krycek was sure both he and John would be at each other's throats by now if they hadn't had the help of Walter's mother. Three infants were an impossible challenge. 

He wondered what his mother would have been like if she were still alive. Would she have been as helpful and supportive as Walter's mom? Krycek sighed. He usually avoided thinking about his parents--the memories were too painful. 

John walked into the room carrying Gwendolyn wrapped in a towel. Her hair had been toweled dried. "She's complaining about a stomachache," he said. "I think a little ginger ale might help." 

"I'll get her some," Krycek offered. 

In their bedroom, next door, one of the triplets started crying and on cue the other two joined in. 

"Give her to me," Krycek sighed, taking Gwen from John. "You better go tend the babies. I'll be in to help you as soon as I get her settled." 

John hurried out of the bedroom as the triplets shrieks became louder. 

"Let's go downstairs," Krycek said soothingly, collecting her pajamas from the dresser. "You can sleep in the big bed with Connor and Chloe." He didn't want her to be alone while he was helping John with the triplets. Krycek knew he could count on Fox and Walter to take care of Gwen. 

After he dressed her in pajamas, Krycek carried Gwen downstairs and entered his friends' bedroom. "Would you mind watching Gwen while I help John with the triplets?" he asked. 

Fox was sitting at the foot of the bed watching Connor and Chloe sleep. 

"I don't mind, put her under the covers next to Chloe," Fox said, smiling tiredly. "From the sound of the crying, I'd say you'd better hurry back upstairs." 

"Has Walter radioed Liz?" Krycek asked, tucking Gwen into the soft bed. 

"Yes. She should be over any minute to check on them." Fox grabbed the bedpost and pulled himself to his feet. "Hopefully it's just a twenty-four hour bug." 

"John thinks a little ginger ale might help to settle their stomachs," Krycek said as he headed for the doorway. 

"He's probably right," Fox said, following him out of the room. "It's pretty good at reducing nausea. I'll get them some." 

On the other side of the house, the men had arrived that were going to help tear off the roof over Jim and Blair's bedroom, bathroom, and the alcove then lay the foundation for the new addition. Walter, Wade, and Blair were showing them what to do. Krycek had been looking forward to helping with the demolition, but he had more important things at the present to attend to. 

Jim, Blair, and Sarah were moving into the loft while construction work was taking place over their room. 

Hurrying back upstairs, Krycek entered his and John's bedroom and closed and locked the door behind him. John had all three infants out of their cribs and on the bed. He was nursing two of them, while the third lay on the bed crying. Krycek pulled off the t-shirt over his head and picked up Marty then sat next to John on the mattress. It didn't take long for the infant to latch onto his nipple and start suckling. 

"We're going to have to be careful to keep the door closed and locked when we're nursing," Krycek said. "With those other men helping with the construction, I really don't want any of them walking in on us." 

"I couldn't agree more," John said. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Bear 

Skinner carried the letter from Dana Scully into the bedroom and handed it to Fox. "Sean gave this letter to Michael Giardello to drop off. How are the kids doing?" he asked, noticing that all four kids were sleeping in his and Fox's large bed, while Aviva, the only one not sick was sitting on the love seat playing with her popup book. 

"Liz says it's a stomach flu and it should run its course by tomorrow," Fox said, looking at the date on the envelope. "Scully mailed this four months ago." 

"Does Liz think Aviva is going to come down with it?" Skinner moved over to the love seat and placed his hand on their daughter's forehead. 

"Maybe, maybe not," Fox said, opening the envelope and unfolding the letter. He smiled as he held up a photograph of Scully holding a four-year-old William. 

Skinner looked at the photo. "I never knew she had freckles," he observed. 

"She usually covered them with makeup," Fox said, setting the photo aside and glancing at the letter. 

"What does she write?" Skinner asked, trying to be more tolerant of Fox's ex-partner. 

"I'll read it to you," Fox said. "Dear Mulder, your children and John's daughter are beautiful. I'm guessing that Aviva looks like her mother. You never did include your wife's name in the letter, so I'm assuming she's someone I know." 

"She's figured that much out," Walter quipped. "That level of observation must be due to her crack FBI training." 

"Be nice." Fox continued reading the letter. "I guess I'll have to wait until June to meet her." He glanced up at Skinner and smirked. 

"She's coming in June?" Skinner was a bit taken a back; she wasn't supposed to come until the end of summer. "Your due date isn't until July." 

"I know." Fox sighed. "What are we going to do?" 

"We'll think of something. Finish the letter." 

Fox looked back down at the letter. "Oh damn, it gets worse," he muttered then continued reading. "Mom, Monica, and I decided we wanted to spend the summer visiting you and your family. Mom really misses the East coast and I guess so do I. Don't worry; we'll try not to intrude too much. You'll need to book three rooms at the inn, two rooms from June 11 to August 30, and one room from June 11 to July 5. Bill, Tara, and Matthew will be coming with us, but they are only going to be staying for a few weeks. Bill didn't want us traveling alone, considering the state of the country." 

"Oh good," Skinner said, "I was hoping for an opportunity to beat the crap out of that bastard. This visit is looking up." 

"Walter, play nice with Bill." Fox's voice held a warning. "Besides if anyone gets to hit him it will be me." 

"Not if your fist can't reach him past your belly." Skinner chuckled, glancing down at Fox's belly resting on his thighs as he sat at the end of bed. 

"Hmm ...this is interesting," Fox said. "Monica and I have become lovers and while I love her, she's..." He turned the sheet of paper over and his face turned pale. 

"What's wrong?" Skinner asked. 

Fox sucked on his lower lip and looked up at him. After several moments he sighed. "I haven't been totally honest with you about my relationship with Scully. It was only once, so I didn't want to tell you knowing how insecure you feel about her and me." 

"What was only once?" Skinner felt his temper rising, his greatest fear was that Fox would leave him for Scully. He'd never seen two people closer than those two. 

"I'm closer to you, Walter," Fox said as if reading his mind. "I'm having your baby." He continued reading the letter. "Not as good a lover as you. Why did I let you slip away? We were so good together as partners, when I invited you into my bed I had such hopes for a real future with you. Then the aliens abducted you and after you were returned to me, I let my personal grief and pain get in the way. I never even considered what you might have been going through. Once William was born I was too busy being a mother that I shoved you aside. I'm sorry, Mulder, I hope you can forgive me for not being there for you." 

"You had sex with her." Skinner felt betrayed. 

"Only one time, and it no longer means anything to me," Fox said, setting the letter down and standing. "You're the one I love, so lose the jealousy--it's not a good look on you." 

"Was she good in bed?" Skinner wasn't ready to let it drop. 

At that point Fox decided to play dirty. He grabbed Skinner's hands and placed them on his belly then he leaned in and kissed him. "I'm yours and this should be more than enough proof of my love for you." 

The baby moved under Skinner's fingertips, he smiled and pulled his lover into a hug. From the look in Fox's eyes, the larger man knew that Scully didn't stand a chance of coming between them. "I'll radio Naomi and make reservations at the inn for them." 

"Daddy, I no feel good," Aviva said, clinging to Skinner's legs while looking up at him. 

Usually the twins went to Fox first, so Skinner was caught a little off guard. He knelt next to her and placed a hand on her forehead. She was warm and had a green cast to her skin. 

Fox quickly snatched the plastic bucket from beside the bed and thrust it under her mouth just as she started vomiting, saving Skinner from another undignified moment. He looked up at Fox gratefully. 

After Aviva had finished throwing up, she started crying and Skinner lovingly scooped her up in his arms. "C'mon, baby, Daddy will give you a bath then put you to bed with the others." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Moose 

Ranger Smith was outside working on his helicopter when he heard Francesca scream followed by the sound of breaking glass. He ran into the station and found his pregnant fiance unconscious on the hallway floor. Looking toward his brother's bedroom doorway, Sean stood and walked into the room. The chains that had bound Marita to the bed had been broken and was discarded on the floor. The window in the room was broken. 

"Goddammit!" 

The precautions they had taken to prevent Marita from escaping after she completed the change had failed. Now they had a crazed werewolf on the loose. Sean hurried back into the hallway and tenderly lifted Francesca, he carried her into his bedroom and laid her on the mattress. He discovered one bite mark on her upper forearm, where she must have raised it in self-defense. 

Jack was over at Moonridge Lodge helping the men with the new addition, so Sean radioed there first before contacting Liz. Laura was still in a coma from John Doggett biting her while he was giving birth to triplets. He hoped John Byers would be able to control his wife after she finally completed the change. So far only Sonja Skinner hadn't bitten anyone after her change and that was due mostly to her husband Wade's vigilance. 

As Sean was signing off the radio, he heard a commotion outside then Jimmy Bond and Michael Giardello ran through the front door. 

"We were just attacked by a wolf!" Giardello shouted. 

Both men had torn clothing and blood dripped from several bite marks. 

"Werewolf," Sean corrected. "You're lucky to be alive." 

"I don't think she was trying to kill us," Jimmy said. "She seemed confused and agitated." 

"She bit Francesca," Sean said. "Liz is on her way over, why don't you both make yourselves comfortable and I'll get the first aid kit." 

"What about the werewolf?" Giardello asked. 

"My brother and the men from Moonridge Lodge are searching for her." Sean retrieved the first aid kit from the cabinet above the refrigerator. 

"Sean, you and Jimmy keep referring to it as a she." The former FBI agent looked between the two men. "What's going on?" 

"The werewolf is Marita Covarrubias. My brother had infected her with the Lycan virus," Sean said, setting the kit on the coffee table. "She was staying here while she went through the change, but she broke the chains holding her and you know the rest." 

With Francesca now infected with the virus, Sean realized that he would eventually be infected, too. He knew from conversations with Mulder and the other men that the closer to the sire the stronger the werewolf, so Sean decided he would ask Mulder to infect him instead of his fiance. The ranger wanted to be a level higher than his younger brother, which would irritate Jack to no end. 

A half hour later, Sean heard the sound of an UTV drive into the parking lot. He opened the door for Liz and Melvin. 

"Marita bit Michael and Jimmy," the Ranger said. 

"Well, Jimmy, it looks like you're going to have to delay your trip off the mountain to search for Yves," Melvin said. "At least until after you completed the change." 

"I suppose." Jimmy sighed sadly. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Wolverine 

Thursday, April 21, 2005 

Jack sat at the kitchen table, glaring at his older brother. "I can't believe you got Mulder to infect you," he said. "That makes you a level two werewolf!" 

"I knew it would annoy you." Sean smiled smugly. "After all, it's your fault my fiance was infected with the virus." 

"I told you we needed silver chains to secure Marita to the bed," Jack said. "But you were too cheap to spring for them." 

"I'm sorry, Sean," Marita said, looking truly ashamed of herself. 

"It's not your fault," Sean said. "My brother is right, for once, I should have listened to him and had the chains made out of silver." 

It took them over a day to track her down, by then Marita had returned to her human form. Luckily she had gone deeper into the mountains and hadn't encountered any other humans. 

"What now?" she asked. 

Jack took a hold of her hand. "We could build our own place in the woods." 

"No offence, Jack," Marita said, pulling her hand back, "But I don't want to start a family with you." 

"Who said anything about getting married or having children together?" 

"Then what do you have in mind?" 

"With Sean getting married, I can't very well continue to live here," Jack said, "And you can't be very happy living at Wolf's Peak." 

"It's not too bad," she said. 

Jack wasn't about to let the issue drop. "I happen to own of a nice plot of land on the stream southwest of Frohike's place. We could get the guys to help us build a log home. Since neither of us is interested in having children, it doesn't have to be that large, but it would be a place we can call home when we're not traveling off the mountain." 

"As long as it has a large gourmet kitchen and room for my loom," Marita said, adding, "And two bedrooms." 

"I'll talk to Walter," Jack said. "With so many men helping on their addition, it should be completed by July, so they can start work on our place in August." He really just wanted a place near the rest of the wolf pack. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Woodpecker 

Friday, May 2, 2005 

After the morning fog had burned off, the view from the cliff overlooking the Bering Strait was breathtaking. Alaska was beautiful in the springtime and West Skinner knew he was going to miss it. He was making good progress on the final painting in the set and should have it done in a couple of days--much to his wife's relief. 

Maria was now becoming impatient to move to Holton. She'd had enough of living without modern day conveniences. The natural gas had been turned off with the closure of the utility company and having to boil water over an open fire for her bath had been the last straw. His wife had even started to believe moving closer to her in-laws and brother-in-law had been her idea. 

West had contacted Walter a couple of months back and had him put West's family on the list of Holton residents waiting for houses. According to Walter, it was a long list that grew longer daily, and their house probably wouldn't be ready until the fall. Of course Maria had gotten involved and insisted that Walter made sure the location of their future home would be in an upper class neighborhood. She wasn't too pleased when Walter informed her that Holton wasn't segregating neighborhoods based on income and they weren't building any mansions. Besides apartment buildings, the town was building four styles of homes: row townhouses, bungalows, Tudors, and Victorians to match the existing styles of homes in the town. 

Walter had told him that Holton had a quaint old-fashioned character to it that the mayor and town council wanted to maintain as it grew. 

Since West wanted their house plans settled before they moved to Holton, so as not to give Maria the opportunity to bully the town planners, he had asked Walter to mail the home plans to his friend Captain Caine at the U.S. air force base. When the plans arrived, Caine radioed West and he flew down to pick them up. There were twenty-one plans total; to his surprise Maria chose one of the cheaper bungalow plans. It was a quarter of the size of their current home, but it had a nice floor layout. Maria liked the master bathroom and the walk out balcony, and she pointed out the large room in the back that West could use for his studio. In typical Maria fashion, she told him that once they were settled and he was making a good living painting again, they could look into upgrading to a larger home. 

West smiled, he did love his wife dearly. 

Glancing up from his painting to look out at the sea, he noticed a ship on the horizon. West set the paintbrush down and picked up the binoculars, and walked closer to the edge of the cliff. Occasionally he'd see Alaskan fishing trawlers out on the water, but this ship looked different. Looking through the lenses, West focused on the ship and realized he was looking at a Russian fishing vessel. A person on the deck of the ship pointed at him and waved. A couple more people came up on the deck. They pointed and waved their arms frantically, it was obvious that they wanted to catch his attention. Without the benefit of binoculars they probably only saw a man standing on top of the cliff, so he waved back acknowledging their presence. 

A natural path led down to a small beach below the cliff. West decided to wait for them below. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Dragon 

After traveling across Russia for almost a year without seeing another living soul, the last thing Nicholas had ever expected upon arriving in Alaska was to be greeted by another living soul. Alaska was after all a thinly populated state, so the chances were pretty slim even without the devastation caused by the aliens. 

Ivan steered the ship toward the small beach where the man stood waiting. 

"Hello!" Nicholas called when their ship neared the beach. 

"Are you from Russia?" the man shouted back. 

"Yes," Nicholas said. He and his wife spoke perfect English, and they had been teaching their companions the language during their journey. Pavel and Alisa were quick learners. 

"Brace yourselves!" Ivan called out in Russian. "I'm going to beach the ship." 

The man on the small beach moved out of the way as Ivan steered the ship up onto the rock beach. It shook as it hit the rocks and came to a halt. The man hurried over and Nicholas lowered his wife down to him before jumping to shore. The others climbed off the ship as it teetered on the rocks. 

"I'm West Skinner," the man said, holding out his hand. 

"Nicholas Krycek," Nicholas said, shaking his hand. "This is my wife Lilia, and our companions are Ivan Belova, and Pavel Khudorozkina and his wife, Alisa." 

"It's a pleasure to meet you," West said. "What are things like over in Russia?" 

"We're not really sure." Nicholas looked at his companions. "We were political prisoners. When we finally broke out of the underground facility where we had been held, we didn't encounter another living soul. But that may be because we traveled across the less populated parts of our country. How are things over here?" 

"Most of our major cities were destroyed, but the military was able to drive the aliens off. Why don't we discuss this up top?" 

"Did New York City survive?" Lilia asked anxiously. 

"No." West shook his head as he led them up the path from the beach. 

She glanced sadly at her husband. "I told you finding our son would be hopeless." 

"You had a son living in New York City?" West asked. 

"Yes, his name is Alex," Nicholas said as they walked over to the easel. "We have no idea if he still lived in New York. Our son was smuggled out of the Soviet Union as a boy with my parents, we were to join them but the KGB arrested us. We've been political prisoners for over thirty years and have had no contact with our family during that time." 

West was looking at him strangely. 

"Is something the matter?" Nicholas asked, not sure if he had offended the American in some way. 

"Ah, no, I'm just thinking how sad your story is," West said then smiled. "You mustn't give up hope; it is still possible that you might be reunited with your son." 

"I pray that you are right," Nicholas said. "Lilia has given up all hope of ever seeing him again ...she thinks I'm a dreamer." 

"You and your companions shall be my guests," West said, packing up his paints. "My wife and I have a large ranch, and since I just flew to Fairbanks last week for supplies we have plenty of food." 

"Thank you. It's been a while since we had a good hot meal," Lilia said, admiring the painting. "You're quite talented." 

"Thanks." West smiled. "But I must warn you, neither my wife nor I are very good cooks." 

"Ivan can cook," Nicholas said, smiling at his companion who grunted in acknowledgement. He couldn't believe how fortunate they were on their first day in America. 

"Well then." West rubbed his hands together. "This might be the first good meal my wife, daughter, and I have had in over a year." 

They followed West to a small airplane parked in a field. Once on board Nicholas counted six passenger seats, along with a pilot and co-pilot seats. Maybe they could hire him to fly them to the East coast. It seemed the most logical place to start their search for Alex. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Bear 

Saturday, May 3, 2005 

The house was quiet and dark as Skinner left the radio alcove. He walked into the kitchen and filled a glass with cold, tap water, and carried it back to the bedroom. "Here you go," he said, handing Fox the glass. His husband was sitting up in bed reading. 

"What took you so long?" Fox set the book aside. 

"I heard the radio, and had to answer it," Skinner said. 

"It's one o'clock in the morning, who would be calling this late?" 

"West." Skinner sat on the edge of the bed. "It's only ten o'clock in Alaska." 

"I hope he and his family are all right," Fox said. "Has Maria changed her mind about the bungalow?" 

"No." Skinner grinned; he couldn't keep the excitement from showing on his face. 

"What's going on? Why did West call?" 

"I'll tell you if you promise to keep it a secret," Skinner said, lowering his voice to a whisper. Alex and John's bedroom was above theirs, and at this time of night, when the house is quiet, voices carry. 

"You know I'd never blab about anything you tell me confidentially." Fox took a sip of water and rested the glass on his belly. 

"West radioed to find out the name of Alex's mother." 

"Why?" 

"Yesterday while West was painting on a cliff overlooking the Bering Strait a Russian fishing vessel came across the sea and landed on the small beach below..." 

"Don't tell me, Alex's parents were on that boat," Fox asked in a whisper. 

"That's what West wanted to confirm. This husband and wife were hoping to find their son who they hadn't seen in over thirty-years. West knew Alex had named one of the triplets after his father, and the man's name was Nicholas but West didn't know what Alex's mother's name was." 

"Lilia," Fox said. 

They'd only recently found out the names of Alex's parents while discussing baby names. 

"That was the name of the woman," Skinner said. "Nicholas and Lilia Krycek." 

"It's them." Fox was stunned. "Is West going to tell them?" 

"You know my brother has a flair for the dramatic," Skinner said still keeping his voice down. "He's going to convince them to fly here with him, Maria, and Vera. We'll have to work out the details for the surprise reunion with John, Jim, and Blair." 

"But they weren't planning on coming for three weeks," Fox said disappointedly. "That's an awfully long time to wait." 

"West is going to fly down Monday with them. But he wants me to fly back to Alaska with him to help him retrieve some personal items from his place." 

"Do you think that you can bring back some Alaskan king crab legs?" 

"For you, I'll bring back the whole crab." Skinner leaned forward and kissed him. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Dog 

Doggett strolled down the path around the lake with Walter, Blair, and Jim. It was a beautiful evening and the air smelled sweet and fresh. The days were getting longer so sunset was still a couple of hours off. Walter had talked them into going for a walk around the lake after dinner to give Alex a break from the triplets. Doggett had Marty in a Bjorn strapped to his chest, Walter was carrying Pauley, and Blair had Nicky, while Jim carried Sarah. 

When they reached the elder Skinner's log home, Walter stopped. "This is far enough," he said. 

"I thought you wanted to go for a hike?" Blair said with a hand on the back of Nicky's cap covered head. 

"No, I wanted to go someplace where Alex couldn't overhear us," Walter said, "Besides my parents will want to hear about this, too." 

"What's up, Walt?" Doggett asked as they walked up the porch steps. He had noticed that Fox and Walter were acting secretively all day. 

"Gentlemen," Wade greeted them from the porch swing where he was smoking a cigar and sipping a cognac. 

"Dad, is mom inside?" Walter asked. 

Sonja walked out through the screen door with a glass of iced tea. "Walter, are you and your friends out for a walk this evening?" 

"Sort of," Walter said. "West radioed this morning with news that I think everyone will find interesting." 

"This news involves Alex?" Doggett asked, puzzled. 

"Yes." Walter leaned against the porch railing. "West is going to fly here with his family and five guests on Monday." 

"He wasn't supposed to come for another three weeks," Sonja said. "I'll have to hurry and finish the quilt for the bedroom where Maria and West are going to be sleeping." 

"Who are West's guests?" Doggett asked, knowing that whoever these people were it somehow involved his husband. 

"Russians who sailed across the Bering Strait yesterday," Walter said. 

Doggett was curious. "What connection do these Russians have with Alex?" 

"Two of them, Nicholas and Lilia Krycek, came over hoping to find their son," Walter said. 

That news took Doggett and the other men by surprise. "Are you sure, they're Alex's parents?" he asked. 

Walter nodded. "West said he could see a strong family resemblance between them and Alex. "They had been political prisoners for over thirty years and only escaped after the invasion. They didn't even know the Soviet Union had collapsed until West told them." 

"Wow," Blair said. 

"West hasn't told them about Alex being here," Walter said. "He wants this to be a surprise reunion." 

"Sounds like West," Wade said. "That boy can be very sentimental about such things." 

"This is unbelievably good news," Jim said. "The odds of Walter's brother bumping into Alex's parents must have been astronomical." 

"Fox thinks it was fated to happen," Walter said. "He doesn't believe his life being saved out west by Simon or us being in Baltimore when Naomi, Methos, and Mac were attacked by rats was accidental, he thinks some outside force is involved." 

Doggett shook his head. "I don't really care how it happened. The only thing that matters to me is Alex, and finding his parents will heal a lot of pain he still carries around from that time in his life." He wondered what Alex's parents reaction would be to finding out that their son was married to another man. They'll have to cross that bridge when they come to it. Right now the reunion was the most important thing. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Raven 

Monday, May 5, 2005 

"I'm so excited," Naomi said as Methos helped her change sheets and put fresh cut flowers in three of the inn's rooms. "Can you imagine what it would be like to finally find your parents after so many years?" 

Methos raised an eyebrow. 

"Oh sorry, dear, I'd forgotten about your mother," Naomi said. 

The restaurant and bar were closed today, so Naomi had talked the guys into having Alex's surprise reunion there, and had offered to put his parents and the other three Russians up at the Inn until living arrangements could be arranged. With Moonridge Lodge a mess due to the new addition being added onto the house, there wouldn't be room there until later this summer. West and his family were moving in with Sonja and Wade until their home in Holton was ready this fall. 

Naomi fluttered around the room, making sure everything was in order. "Are you still planning to head up to the old growth forest in three weeks to find your mother?" 

"Yes," Methos said. Finding Hannah had been constantly on his mind since Mulder had discovered her connection to Methos and the newborn twin foundlings Kronos the cat had found out in the woods. 

"Is Fox still going along?" 

"I wouldn't count on it. From what he has said, the hike is up hill and can be pretty strenuous. Even when Fox wasn't seven months pregnant, he never made it across the chasm to the really old section of forest, so I'm expecting him to back out," Methos said. 

"You're not going alone are you?" Naomi gave him a reproving look. 

"No Jim, Jack, and Marita are going along. We'll probably have to devise some sort of Rope Bridge to span that chasm." 

They stepped out of the Liverpool suite, and entered the Yokohama suite. 

Next summer they were planning to add a third level onto Seacouver's with ten more suites and would continue the international seaport cities theme. They had already agreed to the names: Saint Petersburg, Puerto Madryn, Cape Town, and Marseille, but were undecided on the other six names. They had whittled their list down to fifty port cities but couldn't quite agree on which ones to eliminate. 

Joe's collection of artifacts for the display cases outside of each room was coming along nicely as he and Ranger Smith made contacts within the military. They had been able to get their hands on satellite photos of the cities before the aliens attacked that they were using in each case. Blair was helping Joe write the history of each seaport with the city's local customs and traditions. From photographs of the various seaports, Joe had hired local artisans to replicate the dcor. 

Methos had to give Joe credit for the wonderful job he was doing in transforming the suites. The suites were pretty nice the way they originally decorated them, but the artisans had given the rooms an authentic look and feel. Methos actually felt like he was in China when he was in the Shanghai suite. Maybe Joe would be successful at preserving a little bit of world history. The five thousand years old immortal had experienced many civilizations come and go over the centuries and knew that nothing lasted forever. They were now at a new cusp in human history, and how it would pan out only time would tell. 

"Wouldn't you need Fox along to contact the nymphs?" Naomi asked. 

"I'm hoping they will make themselves known to us without Fox having to be there. If not, we could always take a trip back in the fall, by then Fox should be able to travel." 

"What about Mac?" Naomi asked. 

"Claire is working out splendidly as our nanny," Methos said, "I'm thinking about asking her, if she wouldn't mind watching the twins for the week that we're gone." Their nanny was also watching Naomi and Joe's daughter, Sydney. Claire was Australian, in her late thirties, and quite dependable. She had been on vacation in the U.S. when the aliens had attacked. 

Chef Anton walked into the room. "I have the perfect menu for this afternoon's celebration," he announced energetically. 

Methos noticed that their chef had been more enthusiastic lately and less melancholy. Most likely it was due to Anton moving into one of the four new dome homes across the street from Seacouver's. Having a permanent residence could be quite the ego booster. Anton was sharing the dome with two other Seacouver's employees. One of the domes was empty and would be used as the temporary home for Blues musicians that came to play at the bar. The other two had Seacouver's staff. 

"I'm preparing a buffet of finger foods," Anton went on, "I figure people will be more interested in socializing than in eating." 

"Sounds like a good idea," Naomi said. "I know that I'm too excited to eat." 

"I better get down to the kitchen," Anton said and hurried off, humming happily. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Rat 

The bar and restaurant were filled with friends and family, sipping beer or wine while snacking upon the wonderful spread Anton had lain out. Krycek looked around at his friends. The only ones not present were Fox, Jim, and the Byers. Fox and Jim were home taking care of the children, including the triplets much to Krycek's relief. It was nice to have a break away from them for a few hours. The other guests had brought their children with them. Stan and Ray had Logan and Eleanor in Bjorns against their chests. Frohike had his son Kyle strapped in one as well. 

Something didn't feel quite right to Krycek. John had said they were there to celebrate his brother's, Mike, and Tim Bayliss' engagement, but for some reason Krycek felt like he was the center of attention. Almost everyone had come over to ask him how he was or to engage in small talk. 

Frohike was taking candid photographs of the celebration, but Krycek caught the little man snapping more photos of him than of Mike and Tim. 

He was just about to corner his husband and demand some answers when the doors opened and West Skinner stepped into the bar followed by four women and two men. 

"You're late," Walter commented. 

"Sorry," West said, "The stopover in North Dakota to refuel took longer than I expected." 

Sonja and Wade hurried over to greet them. 

"It's been so long," Sonja said pleasantly, hugging her eldest son. 

"Sonja, you look younger," Maria said, giving her mother-in-law a stunned look. "Did you have a face lift?" 

"No, the mountain air seems to agree with me," Sonja said as she hugged her granddaughter. "How have you been, Vera?" 

"Fine, grandma," Vera said. "I've been looking forward to meeting my cousins and Uncle Walter's husband." She glanced at all of the people in the bar. "Are they here?" 

"No," Wade said, hugging and kissing her on the cheek. "They're at home. You'll meet them later tonight or tomorrow." 

"West told us that you have hot water at your place," Maria said. "I'm really looking forward to taking a hot bath later." 

While listening to the Skinner family reunion, Krycek glanced at the five strangers who had come in with them. He wondered who they were and what their connection was to West. Something about the older woman seemed familiar to him. Then his eyes met the older man's who was staring at him with an uncertain expression. Krycek looked back at the woman and frowned--it wasn't possible. 

John walked over to stand next to him. "Don't just stand there, Alex, go over and greet your parents." 

"What?" Krycek's legs suddenly felt weak as he looked at John. His parents were dead. If they hadn't been killed by the soviets then they would have died when the aliens invaded. It wasn't possible that they would just show up there out of the blue--was it? "What's going on?" 

The bar had gone silent and West led Krycek's parents over to him. "Nicholas, Lilia, it is my pleasure to reunite you with your son, Alex." 

Lilia's face paled and she swooned--Nicholas caught her. 

"Alex?" he asked while holding his wife upright against his body. 

All doubt fell away when Krycek heard his father's voice. "Papa, it's really you." 

A smile spread across the elder Krycek's face as his wife recovered from her fainting spell. "Lilia, we have found our son." 

Lilia moved shakily away from her husband and over to their son, tears were streaming down her cheeks as she reached out with trembling hands to caress Krycek's face. "Oh, Sasha, I never believed we would find you--after so many years." 

Krycek looked into those beautiful, familiar green eyes. How had he not known immediately who she was? Tears welled up in his eyes and they both broke down sobbing as they embraced. "Mama." 

His father wrapped his arms around them. "I knew we would find you, son, but I never thought it would be so quickly." 

Krycek wiped at his eyes, he wasn't used to losing control of his emotions. "After the Soviet Union collapsed I searched throughout Russia for you. What happened? Where were you?" 

Nicholas looked into his son's tear-filled eyes. "The KGB was holding us and other scientists in a secret underground lab. We were forced to work for them on a project to develop a vaccine for an alien virus." He glanced at West and asked, "You've known our son was here all along?" 

"I suspected when you introduced yourself to me," West said, grinning from ear-to-ear. "I knew for certain after I radioed my brother." 

"Thank you for bringing our family back together," Nicholas said. 

Krycek was aware of John's presence behind him. How would his parents react to him being married to another man? Krycek wasn't about to keep his relationship with John a secret from them. 

"Sasha, do you live near here?" Lilia asked. 

"My husband and I have a small farm about nine miles from here," Krycek said, getting it out in the open. "We share it with two other couples." 

"Husband?" Lilia asked with a puzzled expression. "Don't you mean wife?" 

"No," he said, reaching back for John's hand and pulling him up beside him. "This is John. We're married and have had four children together." 

An expression of horror appeared on his mother's face and an uncomfortable silence filled the room. John's father finally broke it. 

"I'm Paul Doggett, John is my son. I know this must be a shock to you all, but try to set aside your prejudices for the sake of our grandchildren. I'm proud to have Alex for a son-in-law, and God has graced them with the ability to have children. There is nothing wrong or sinful about their union." 

"You're a religious man?" Lilia asked with a note of surprise. 

"I am," Paul said. 

"Doesn't your bible condemn homosexuals?" she asked. 

"People can twist words in the Lord's book to mean what they want them to," Paul said. "In my bible, God has nothing but love for all creatures. If he didn't love homosexuals he wouldn't have created them, it's as simple as that." 

Krycek smiled at Paul--the man was a saint. 

"Alex, I am not saying that I condone your marriage or even understand it," Nicholas said, "But would you explain how you and this man could have had children together?" 

"We're both hermaphrodites," Krycek said as he tightened his hold on John's hand. His parents were going to have to accept them if they wanted to be part of their life. 

"I don't understand," his father said. "You were born a normal boy." 

"My friend, Fox, and I were genetically altered by the aliens. They turned us into hermaphrodites," Krycek explained, "We didn't realize that what they had done to us could be transmitted through a virus to others and cause them to mutate." 

"That's incredible," Nicholas said. "Why did the aliens choose you to experiment upon?" 

"I became involved in the alien conspiracy when I joined the CIA in an attempt to find you and mama," Krycek said. "It's a long story, with parts that I am not very proud of." 

Nicholas frowned. "So the aliens genetically altered you and another man then you passed the mutation on to others. How many people are infected and how is the mutation spread?" 

As a scientist, Krycek's father was more open-minded than most people. It was clear Nicholas was becoming less concerned with his son's gay marriage, and more interested in how his son was turned into a hermaphrodite. 

Krycek sensed that his mother would be the least accepting of John of the two of them, but he hoped that once she met her grandchildren that would soften her views. He just couldn't believe after all these years that they were actually there. 

"Papa, most of the people in this room are infected," Krycek said, "Some by choice, others by accident. The virus is spread threw a bite from someone who is carrying the virus. Maybe you and mama could help us, we'd like to find a way of controlling the spread of the virus." 

"Your mother and I would be willing to help in whatever way we can," Nicholas said, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "We'd need a laboratory and equipment." 

"We have a small lab a couple of miles from here at the new clinic," John said. 

"You're welcome to use it," Liz said, holding out her hand to Lilia. "I'm Doctor Elizabeth Nash-Frohike and I'd be more than willing to show you both around." 

"Thank you, Doctor Frohike," Lilia said. 

"Please, call me Liz." 

Krycek sighed with relief. So far it appeared that his parents weren't going to make too big of an issue over his lifestyle. At least he hoped not. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Fox 

Mulder wrinkled his nose as he changed Marty's diaper while Jim changed Pauley's. The nine-week-old infants had already required three diaper changes and three feedings, since Mulder had offered to watch them. He hoped that John and Alex would make it home soon, since they were out of breast milk. The other children had been put to bed for the night, so other than Sarah and the triplets occasionally crying to be fed or changed the house was relatively quiet. 

They had the bassinets set up in the great room, and the changing tables in the laundry room. 

"I can't wait to hear how Alex's reunion with his parents went," Mulder said while applying powder to Marty's bottom. 

"I'm wondering if his parents will accept John," Jim said. "I know my dad would have disowned me before he would have accepted my relationship with Blair." 

"I have no idea how my parents would have reacted," Mulder said, "But I doubt they would have been happy for me." 

"It sounds like they're home," Jim said moments before the sound of the UTVs reached Mulder's ears. 

They finished diapering the babies and walked out of the laundry room just as Walter, Blair, and John stepped through the back door into the kitchen. 

"We brought back leftovers," Blair said, holding up a paper bag. "I'll heat you both a plate." 

"Thanks for watching them," John said, setting the bag he was carrying down on the counter and taking Marty from Mulder. "How have they been?" 

"Hungry," Mulder said, "They just finished drinking the last of the milk." 

"Alex and I filled a few more bottles while we were at Seacouver's," John said. 

Mulder knew all about the necessity of carrying a breast pump with him from when he was nursing the twins. Nothing was more uncomfortable than full breasts. 

"Where's Alex?" Jim asked, putting Pauley in the bassinet. 

"He's visiting with his parents," John said. 

"Well?" Mulder asked. "How did it go?" 

"I'm fairly certain his mom doesn't like me," John said offhandedly. "But it doesn't matter; Alex was overjoyed to be reunited with them. He even talked them into working on a vaccine to prevent the spread of the Lycan virus." 

Mulder leveled Walter with a 'did you have anything to do with this' glare. 

Walter smiled sweetly at him. "It was all Alex's idea." 

"Neither of you wanted Scully to work on the vaccine," Mulder grumbled, "So excuse me for assuming it was a conspiracy between you both." He had been looking forward to seeing Scully and maybe convincing her and William to stay instead of going back to San Diego at the end of the summer. Working on a vaccine for the Lycan virus just might have been the incentive she needed. 

Walter wrapped his arms around Mulder from behind and nuzzled the side of his throat. "Don't be this way, sweetheart. If you want Scully to stay, I'm sure the town of Holton could use a pathologist. I'll talk to the Sheriff and Mayor--maybe they can make her an offer." 

"You'd do that?" Mulder asked, knowing that Walter was still jealous of his relationship with her. 

"You know I'd do anything to make you happy," Walter said. 

Okay, so now Mulder was feeling guilty over his earlier accusatory words. "Thank you, Walter," he murmured, deciding to make it up to his lover later tonight in bed. "How are West and his family? Why didn't they stop to say hello?" 

"They're fine," Walter said, "It's a little late and Maria wanted to get over to my folks to take a hot bath, so they'll stop over tomorrow. Vera is looking forward to meeting you and her cousins." 

Blair set the plates full of appetizers on the counter. 

Mulder picked up a ginger-glazed chicken wing and took a bite. "I didn't realize how hungry I was," he said. Jim had made macaroni and cheese for dinner but that had been hours ago. 

"You are eating for two," Walter said, "And from your size, I'd say Crevan is eating more than his share." 

"Don't forget, Liz is stopping out tomorrow to run another ultrasound," Mulder said. They had one ultrasound done a month; it made Walter feel closer to their baby. 

"I'm not likely to forget about that," Walter said, picking up a stuffed mushroom cap. "I'll be leaving with West in a couple of days, are you sure you'll be all right without me?" 

"That's about the twentieth time you've asked me that," Mulder said. 

"Don't worry, Walt," Jim said, "We'll look after him." 

"Just be back in time for our hike to the old growth forest," Mulder said. "I'd hate to go without you." 

"Fox, you have a hard enough time getting out of bed in the morning without my help," Walter said, "I think we should let Methos and the others go without us slowing them down." 

"If I slow them down then we can turn around and come back home," Mulder said. 

"Fine," Walter said, giving him an affectionate tap on his butt. "Just don't expect me to carry your ass back here." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Dragon 

Nicholas played with the remote to the flat-panel monitor. Alex had selected a couple of movies for them. His son was leaning up against the dresser watching him with amusement. 

"This is truly remarkable technology," Nicholas said. "All that data is stored on such a small disc." 

"They really kept you and mama isolated all these years," Alex said sadly. 

"We were provided with the latest in lab equipment, and our guards would occasionally smuggle in books and magazines," Nicholas said, "But there were no televisions or radios. Your mama and I survived better than most--at least we had each other." 

Lilia came out of the bathroom; dressed in a plush terrycloth robe that Naomi had given her. Her long hair was wrapped in a towel. 

"I feel much better," she said. "It's been so long since I had the luxury of soaking in a hot bubble bath." 

"I better get home," Alex said, "John's going to need help with the triplets." 

"Are you really in love with this man?" Lilia asked. 

"With my whole being, mama," he said sincerely. 

"Then I will try to accept him for your sake," Lilia said. 

"Thank you, mama." Alex kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be back out in the morning to bring you back to our farm. You'll be able to meet your grandchildren." 

Nicholas enfolded his son in a bear hug then kissed him on both cheeks. "I still can't believe we found you." 

"According to Walter, Fox doesn't think it was accidental," Alex said. 

"If it wasn't accidental, what else could it have been?" Lilia asked. 

"You'll have to ask Fox about it." Alex smiled. "He tends to have all sorts of wild theories--most prove to be very accurate." 

After Alex left, Nicholas looked around the room. He had been told this was the Liverpool suite--it had a very comfortable feel to it. "I'm going to take a bath," he said. "I expect we'll have a very busy day tomorrow." 

Lilia touched his arm, and leaned in and kissed him. "I shouldn't have doubted you, Nicholas." 

He smiled at her. "We'll build a new life together, Lilia, with our son and grandchildren." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Peacock 

Maria sat on the full-sized bed and watched her husband getting ready for bed. The large bedroom had two full-sized beds. Sonja had said the rooms were for when their grandchildren came to spend the night. Maria had been rather surprised at how well built the house was, considering professional builders hadn't built it. It was already dark when they had arrived so other than the wraparound porch she hadn't seen too much of the yard. 

Vera was in the other bedroom across the loft from theirs. The home had three bathrooms; one upstairs next to the room Maria and West were using, and two downstairs. They should be very comfortable there until their home was built; at least once West went back to Alaska to retrieve the rest of her clothing and jewelry. 

"Maybe you could talk Walter into driving your truck with the trailer back with our furniture," Maria said. 

"It's too dangerous, dear," West said mildly. "Besides Fox will be having his baby in a couple of months. Walter wouldn't want to spend several weeks on the road, hauling our furniture." 

"I still think you're pulling my leg," Maria said. "Men can't get pregnant--it's impossible." 

West chuckled. "You'll be meeting Fox tomorrow, so you can decide for yourself if he's really pregnant." 

"When can we go into Holton?" Maria asked, crawling under the covers. "I'd like to see the site where they'll be building our new home." 

"We'll go there Wednesday," West said, slipping into bed and turning off the bedside lamp. "Walter wanted to attend the town council meeting Wednesday afternoon before we fly to Alaska the next morning." 

"West, I love you," Maria said. 

"I love you too, dear," West said. 

She smiled and closed her eyes. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Quail 

Tuesday, May 6, 2005 

The first rays of morning sunlight streamed in through the kitchen window, casting the room in a warm honey glow. 

"Thanks, grandma," Vera said as her grandmother set a second plate of buttermilk pancakes in front of her. "I was wondering if you could teach me how to cook?" 

"You've never showed an interest before," Sonja said. 

"It's a necessary skill now," Vera said. "Before there was always takeout and we had a live in cook." 

Wade chuckled. "You just need to find yourself a husband who can cook as well as your grandma." 

"Grandpa, I'm not ready to get married," Vera said, rolling her eyes and slicing the pancakes into bite-sized pieces. At twenty-six she didn't want to tie herself down with a husband and kids. 

"I'd love to teach you how to cook," Sonja said. "Your grandpa has never been interested." 

"Why would I want to learn when I'm married to the world's greatest cook?" Wade said, grinning at her. 

"Mm, something smells delicious," Maria said as she and West walked into the kitchen. 

Sonja smiled at them. "Have a seat at the counter and I'll get you and West some pancakes." 

Vera picked up the coffee mug and took a sip--she had really missed coffee. 

There was a knock on the back door and Jimmy Bond stepped inside. He was carrying a steel container. 

"Good morning," he said, grinning. "Sonja, I brought the fresh goat's milk you wanted." 

"Thanks, Jimmy," Sonja said, taking the container from him. "Have a seat and I'll fix you some pancakes." 

"Thanks but Melvin already made breakfast for us," he said, "I couldn't eat another bite. I'm heading over to Moonridge Lodge to help milk the cows and feed the animals." 

"Do you mind if I go with you?" Vera asked, openly admiring the handsome young man with honey blond hair and an athletic build. Very nice, she thought, figuring they were about the same age. 

"I don't mind," Jimmy replied cheerfully. 

Vera slid off the stool and carried her plate to the sink. "Thanks, grandma," she said, kissing her on the cheek. 

"Have fun, sweetie," Sonja said. "Tell your uncle that we'll be over in a couple of hours." 

It was a gorgeous spring day outside, the birds were singing and the air smelled fresh. Vera and Jimmy walked around the wraparound porch to the front of the house and Vera gasped as she caught a glimpse of water down the hill across the path and what looked like a dock at the bottom of the steep wooden steps. "Is that a lake?" 

"Yeah, it's a large lake with plenty of fish," Jimmy said. "We have a small swimming beach on our side of the lake, and your grandfather has a fishing boat tied to the dock below. Do you fish?" 

"I fish and hunt, I think I'm going to enjoy living here," Vera said, deciding on the spot that she was going to stay with her grandparents instead of moving to Holton with her parents. 

"It's probably the nicest place I've ever lived," Jimmy said. "It would be perfect if I could find Yves and convince her to move here." 

"Is she your girlfriend?" Vera asked feeling a bit disappointed that this handsome man was already taken. 

"I'd like her to be, but Yves is a bit out of my league." Jimmy sighed as they walked down the path. "She's smart, sexy, and sophisticated." 

"Then why do you want to find her?" Vera asked. 

"I'm in love with her," he said as they turned down a wider path. 

"When was the last time that you saw her?" 

"A couple of months before the aliens attacked." 

"There's a good possibility that she's no longer alive." 

"No." Jimmy shook his head. "Yves is alive--I think I'd be able to feel it if she weren't." 

Several minutes later, Jimmy led her through some bushes and out onto the front lawn of a large log home that appeared to be still under-construction. 

"We're here," he announced. "They're adding three more bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs, and a family room off the radio alcove downstairs. The family room is mainly going to be a place for the children to play. They're also including a floor to ceiling jungle gym set for the kids to play on and get their exercise during the long winters." 

Five little kids suddenly ran around the house from the backyard. "JIMMY!" they screamed as a good-looking, curly-haired man chased after them. 

Vera recognized him from yesterday. Blair, she thought his name was, although she'd met so many people at last night's party she had lost track of their names. 

Blair stopped chasing them as they grabbed onto Jimmy's long legs, hopping up and down excitedly. 

"Play with us, Jimmy!" they demanded. 

"Sorry, Jimmy," Blair said, smiling tiredly. "Joey heard you talking while they were playing in the backyard. It's one of the trials of having a Sentinel for a son." He turned to face Vera. "Hi again, I'm Blair Sandburg," he said, holding out his hand to her. "I bet you don't remember me from last night." 

"Hi. I remember you ...I just forgot your name," Vera said, smiling, "Which one of these is yours?" 

"This one, his name is Joey," Blair said, placing his hand proudly on Joey's head. 

"He's a cutie," she said. 

"This one is Gwendolyn. She's Alex and John's." 

"Hi, Gwendolyn." Vera leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. 

"Hi," Gwen said, smiling up at her. 

"And the other three are your cousins." Blair patted them on the head as he said their names. "Connor, Aviva, and Chloe say hello to your cousin Vera." 

"They're adorable!" Vera kneeled on the clover-covered grass and held open her arms; the twins smiled and went to hug her. 

"What's a cousin?" Connor asked. 

"Your Uncle West is your Papa's brother, Vera is his daughter and that makes her your cousin," Blair explained. 

"C'mere, cousin," Vera said, pulling Connor into a hug. 

He giggled and gave her a wet kiss on the cheek. 

Vera smiled up at Blair. "Do you always watch them?" 

"No, we take turns," Blair said. 

"I'm going to be living at my grandparents," Vera said, "If you ever need a babysitter I'd be more than willing." 

"We could use some help with them during the spring and summer," Blair said. "We're really busy right now working on the addition and at the same time doing the spring planting." He smiled at Jimmy. "We're lucky to have some nice neighbors more than willing to give us a hand." 

A man with a round belly stepped out onto the front porch. "You must be Vera," he said. 

Vera smiled and stood. "And you must be Fox." The man was drop-dead gorgeous regardless of his pregnant belly. She walked up the steps and held out her hand to him. "It's a pleasure to meet you." 

He took her hand and pulled her in for a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Since you are living with your grandparents, I know you won't be hungry, so how about a cup of coffee or tea?" 

"I'd love another cup of coffee," she said and followed him inside the house. The room they entered was huge! It had a two story high stone fireplace, a large sofa, two loveseats, and several leather recliners. There was a large card table in one corner of the room along with a bar. A spiral staircase led upstairs, and above the kitchen was a loft. 

Liz, the doctor Vera had met last night, was sitting at the kitchen counter chatting with Uncle Walt. 

"Hi, Vera, are your mom and dad with you?" Uncle Walt asked. 

"No, they'll be over later, I came with Jimmy." In the light of day, she noticed that her uncle looked a lot younger. She had noticed something different about him last night but the dim lighting of the bar prevented her from seeing too much. 

"Do you want to see a picture of your newest cousin," Uncle Walt asked proudly holding up an ultrasound print. 

"Sure." She took the photo and studied it. "It's a boy." Vera looked up as Fox set a cup of coffee in front of her and smiled. "Mom doesn't believe you're really pregnant." 

"Seeing is believing, I've always said," John remarked as he stepped out through the doorway with a baby strapped to his chest in a Bjorn. He was carrying a laundry basket that he set on the dining room table. "I bet your mom might have to feel the baby move before she believes." 

"What a cute baby," Vera cooed, looking at the baby in the bjorn. "Is he one of yours and Alex's triplets?" 

"Yes." 

She slid off the stool and walked over to him. "Where is the other two?" 

John tilted his head toward the great room, where four bassinets were set up along the wall. She hadn't noticed them before. The room was rather full of comfortable furniture along with a lot of toys. 

"It must be an awful lot of work taking care of them," she said, tiptoeing over to the bassinets. Two were empty. One baby was asleep and the other was awake looking up at the mobile over his bassinet. 

"One of us is always in the room with them," John said. "Your grandmother usually comes over after breakfast to help with them." 

Doggett placed Nicky in one of the empty bassinets, and then went back to the laundry basket and started sorting threw it, pairing up socks and separating the underwear into several piles. "I'm hoping that once they start sleeping through the night it will become easier." 

"If you and Alex ever need a baby-sitter," she offered. 

The back door opened and Alex stepped inside in his stocking feet. "The barn and stable are clean," he announced. "I'm going to take a shower then head over to Seacouver's. Fox, I should have my parents back here in time for lunch." 

"Don't worry, I already have the piroshki made and in the refrigerator. They just need to be fried, and I'm making a herring salad with boiled potatoes, beets, and black olives." 

"How about dinner?" Alex asked anxiously. 

Fox smiled. "Lamb Masala with jeweled rice and fresh asparagus with a hollandaise sauce." 

"Thanks," Alex sighed then hurried through the great room and up the spiral staircase. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Deer 

Lilia sat next to her husband in the UTV while they followed behind their son who was riding a dark brown horse. The path up to the dome clinic had been paved with black asphalt, making the ride smooth. They had stopped briefly at the clinic. The dual domes also had a living area with a kitchen, two bedrooms, and a family room. The structure was tucked into the woods beside a stream. 

Their Russian companions had other plans for the day; Ivan had been invited to Paul Doggett's farm, and Pavel and Alisa had been invited by Mayor Flanagan to visit Holton as her personal guests. Lilia was grateful to have this time alone with their son. 

Once they drove over the bridge the path was dirt, and the ride wasn't as smooth. The path widened and Alex dropped back to ride along side of them. 

"We're going to pave this path next month, all the way up to the Byers property," Alex said. "They live twenty miles from the clinic." 

"That's a lot of pavement," Nicholas observed. "How long will such a project take?" 

"The asphalt paver can put down about three miles a day, so it should take about a week. We haven't decided whether we should do the side paths." 

"It's beautiful up here," Lilia said, looking at the flower petals scattered across the path from the cherry and plum trees. She felt a little detached and kept glancing at her son to make sure he was really there--that this wasn't a dream that she would wake up from. 

"Walter and I looked through the survey maps this morning, and there are several locations that would be perfect for a log home," Alex said. "If you like it up here we can build you a place not too far from ours. You'd have your pick of sites." 

They came to the fork in the path and took the wider one to the left. 

"How much work would it be to build us a place up here?" Nicholas asked. 

"Not too much work now that we can get our hands on construction equipment from Ace Construction Company." Alex stopped his horse by a covered bridge where the path crossed another stream. "This is one of the sites, it's only three and a half mile from our place." 

Lilia and Nicholas climbed off the UTV and walked around the area. She counted several cherry trees, a few apple trees, and a couple of towering chestnut trees. On the south side of the path was a clearing large enough for a several houses. 

"This is part of our land," Alex said, sliding out of the saddle. "The man who owned this property before us had planted a variety of fruit and nut trees throughout this area. Blair has been trying to nurture a grove of olive trees down in a sheltered gully a mile from here. They made it through winter so he is hopeful that they would be hardy enough to survive under harsher conditions." 

"Your friend has skills in botany?" 

"Blair had been studying for a doctorate in anthropology--botany was a side branch of study for him." 

"Your mother majored in botany," Nicholas said. "She's an expert on plants." 

"I'd love to talk to Blair about his research," Lilia said, feeling at one with nature as she stood amongst the trees and bushes. 

"What do you think, Lilia?" Nicholas asked. "Would you like to live here?" 

"I could never imagine living anywhere so beautiful," she said. 

"Mama, do you want to look at the other sites?" Alex asked, holding the reins of his horse. 

"No." Lilia shook her head. "Sasha, I want to live here amongst the cherry trees beside the stream--it's perfect." 

Nicholas nodded in agreement. "It is close to the clinic, so we can easily make it to the lab to work on a vaccine for the virus." 

"Then it's settled." Alex smiled. "Fox is making a special lunch for you, so we should get going." 

"Does he do all the cooking?" Lilia asked, climbing back into the UTV. 

"No. He's seven months pregnant and can't do many of the chores outside so he's been doing most of the cooking," Alex said, "Which is all right with the rest of us since he is the best cook." 

She couldn't imagine a man being pregnant. Alex had told her that he had given birth to his and John's daughter Gwendolyn. It was hard to believe her little boy having a baby. She looked at Alex riding astride the horse, so tall and handsome. He looked a lot younger than she had expected him to, considering he would be forty-one. His skin was smooth and hair a dark sable with no hint of gray. 

They followed Alex through a worn path between tall bushes and out into the front of a large log home. Her son stopped his horse and swung out of the saddle. "Papa, you can just leave the UTV parked out front, I'm going to take the horse around back and put her in the stable. You and mama go on inside," he said as Wade climbed down from the ladder where he had been working on the new addition. 

"I'll take the horse, Alex," Wade said, "You take your parents inside and show them around." 

"Thanks, Wade." 

Lilia smiled at him. "It looks like you are quite busy." 

"We all are," Wade said, "There's a lot to be done between the new addition and spring planting." 

Walter walked around the side of the house carrying a chainsaw. "Hi, Lilia, Nicholas, how was the trip over from Seacouver's?" 

"Splendid," Nicholas said, "Alex showed us the plot of land where you and the other men have offered to build us a log home. This is very generous of you." 

"I know how much I enjoy having my folks living nearby," Walter said. "It seems only right for Alex to have you and Lilia around. After we get the crop in the ground we can start work on your new home." 

"I'm not really handy with tools," Nicholas said, "But I'm a quick learner and I'd like to help." 

"Why don't you go and have lunch, then we'll put you to work afterward," Walter said, smiling. 

Nicholas smiled happily as he took Lilia's hand and they followed Alex into the house. 

When Lilia first laid eyes on Fox, her first thought was how beautiful he looked: flawless skin and his long hair tied back in a ponytail. Her eyes then took in his pregnant belly and she decided that pregnancy suited him--he positively glowed. 

Sonja was helping him in the kitchen while Maria sat at the counter chatting with them and sipping a glass of sparkling wine. 

"Mr. and Mrs. Krycek," Fox said, drying his hands on a towel. "It's a pleasure to meet you." 

Lilia shook his hand. "No need to be so formal, my name is Lilia." 

"Nicholas," her husband said, shaking the young man's hand. "I see Alex wasn't kidding when he said you were pregnant." 

"No." Fox smiled and placed a hand on his belly. "This is the second time I've gone through this, and it probably won't be the last." 

Alex had walked into the great room and was standing beside four bassinets. "Do you want to meet your grandsons?" he said quietly. 

Lilia walked over holding her husband's hand. She gasped when she looked in the bassinets. Four babies were sound asleep. One, a female baby, was a few months older than the other three--her heart-melted at the sight of her three grandsons. "Oh, Sasha, they are so perfect." 

"How long have they been asleep," Alex asked Fox in a voice barely above a whisper. 

"John and Blair changed and fed them about a half hour ago," Fox said from the dining room where he was setting the long table. "They're outside with the kids planting green beans, zucchini, and tomatoes in the side garden. The children already ate grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch; it's about time for their nap. Alex, why don't you call them inside then we can have lunch while the kids nap." 

"Good idea." Alex crossed the room and walked out the back door. 

Lilia stood next to the bassinets staring down at her grandsons. She longed to hold one, but didn't want wake them up. Sonja solved her dilemma by walking over and picking up one of the infants and placing him in Lilia's arms. "This is Nicholas, he likes to be rocked," she said, leading her over to a rocking chair in the great room. 

"They gave the baby my first name?" Nicholas said surprised. 

"Yes." Sonja smiled at him. "The other two boys are Paul and Martin. Alex thought Nicky looked the most like you." 

The back door opened and five little kids ran inside. They stopped when they saw Lilia and Nicholas. John met Lilia's eyes and picked up a little girl and carried her into the great room. 

"Gwendolyn, these are your grandparents," John said. 

"Daddy, I already have a grandpa," she said. 

"Grandpa Paul is my daddy." John smiled. "These are your papa's parents." 

Nicholas held out his arms for her. "I'm your Grandpa Nicholas," he said as John passed her to him. "How old are you?" 

"I'm two years and nine months," Gwen said clearly, "My birthday is August 5, will you come to my party?" 

"I'd love to come to your party," Nicholas said, hugging her. "Do you want to meet your Grandma Lilia?" 

She nodded and Nicholas set her on her feet then took baby Nicholas from his wife's arms. 

"Why are you crying," Gwen asked as Lilia hugged her. 

"I cry because I'm so happy." Lilia smiled up at John and mouthed. "Thank you." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Woodpecker 

Wednesday, May 7, 2005 

The town of Holton was bustling with activity. People filled the sidewalks as they went about their daily activities. New construction was everywhere and the noise from heavy earth moving equipment, drills, and nail guns soared over the sounds of people. West Skinner marveled at the number of people, far more than he'd seen anywhere else since the aliens had attacked. Bicycles outnumbered cars on the road. West and his family were with Mayor Flanagan at the grand opening of a cobbler on the north side of the town. 

"You can open almost any type of business here and it would be guaranteed to make money," she said, admiring the cobbler's leather dress pumps. "We're reopening the textile mill and factory; it had gone out of business back in the eighties due to foreign competition. Seamstresses and tailors would be good trades to go into--Carol Schmidt has been making a killing producing overalls." 

Vera's eyes lit up and she looked at her father. "Dad, maybe I could make some money producing designer clothing." 

West smiled at her. Vera had taken sewing and fashion design courses in college, and he thought she was really quite talented--she just never had the ambition to turn it into a career. Maybe now she'd have the ambition. "I think that's an excellent idea, maybe grandma would allow you to use her sewing machine." 

Walter smiled at her. "I'll get you a sewing machine of your own, Vera, and anything else you'd need to get started." 

"I could use dress forms in different sizes, a serger, an iron and ironing board, scissors, needles, bobbins, tracing and marking tools..." Vera said. 

"Maybe you'd better make a list," Walter said. 

"You're probably right." She smiled. "I wouldn't want to forget something." 

Maria was across the store, looking at a pair of leather riding boots. 

"Dear, are you ready to go?" West asked her. 

"Yes." She set the boot down. "Once you start making money with your paintings, I'd like a pair of these boots." 

"Of course, dear." 

"Shall we go see the lot your home will be built on?" Mayor Flanagan asked. 

"Let's," Maria said. 

"I think you are going to like your home's location," Flanagan said as she led them down the sidewalk. "It will have a park across the street and be near some planned shops. We've been trying to plan neighborhoods around shops and restaurants to avoid the sprawling suburban style developments." 

"What sort of planned shops?" Maria asked. 

"We have had several people apply for permits to start businesses," the Mayor said. "In your neighborhood there will be a row of shops: a florist, bakery, ice cream parlor, dry cleaners, bicycle repair shop, and a delicatessen. Each shop will have apartments over them. Your Russian friends, Pavel and Alisa Khudorozkina, would like to open a Russian restaurant." 

"But they're scientists," West said. 

"I think they've had enough with science," Mayor Flanagan said. "They want to go into another field." 

"I didn't know they could cook," Maria said. "Ivan did all of the cooking during their brief stay with us." 

"Alisa said she knows how to make borscht," Flanagan said, "They were going to ask Ivan to teach them more recipes." 

"They should talk to Mulder," West said, "He made a wonderful herring salad and some piroshki for our lunch yesterday." 

"You better wait for a couple of months," Walter said, "Fox is in no condition to be giving cooking lessons." 

They walked past several homes under construction and into a field that had wooden stakes with orange pieces of fabric tied to their tops that marked off various plots. Large concrete sewer pipes were piled along the side of the dirt road. On their lot was an old maple tree. 

"We've tried to build around some of the older trees," Flanagan said. "It will give the new neighborhoods an established feel." 

The lots in this section were deep to accommodate the long bungalows. They had a corner lot. 

As they were wandering around the plot, the roar of motorcycles filled the air followed by the sounds of gunfire, and cries of agony and screams of terror. 

"Get down!" Walter shouted, before he morphed in to a large grizzly bear and ran off in the direction of the gun battle. 

West watched his brother in amazement as they took shelter behind concrete sewer pipes. 

"It sounds like it's coming from downtown," the mayor said. "I need to find out what's going on." She stood and made her way from tree to tree over to a bulldozer, climbing up into the high seat, she started the engine and drove it toward downtown. 

"My God, West!" Maria said, huddling frightfully on the ground behind the concrete pipe. "What's going on?" 

"Yeah, Dad?" Vera looked at him, her eyes wide. "What's up with Uncle Walt turning into a bear?" 

"From the Mayor's behavior I'd say something out of the ordinary was taking place," West said. He knew about his brother's shape-shifting ability but didn't think it was his place to tell his wife and daughter. "Let's stay here until Walter comes back." 

The gunfire eventually died down and it was nearly an hour before Water returned. "West!" he called. 

West stood and waved. "What happened?" 

"A gang of about one hundred armed men on motorcycles attacked Holton," Walter said. "They drove through killing everyone they saw. Fortunately, Sheriff Fife assembled his officers quickly and fought back, otherwise the number of dead and wounded would have been greater." Walter leaned tiredly against the concrete sewer pipe. "We captured or killed almost half of the gang--the rest got away." 

"What did they want?" West asked. 

Walter glanced across the field as Mayor Flanagan returned with the bulldozer. "I'm not sure...I have no idea why they would gun down unarmed men, women, and children it was so cold-blooded and senseless!" 

She parked and climbed down shakily. "Walter, we need Liz and Laura's help with the wounded, and didn't you say that Jim Ellison had experience as a medic?" 

Walter nodded as he helped her off the bulldozer. 

West noticed bullet dings and blood on the blade of the bulldozer. He wondered just how they had gotten there then he noticed the Mayor's shirtsleeve was torn and had blood on it. 

"Meg, you're bleeding," he said. 

"It's just a graze," she said, "It stings like a bitch." Her eyes hardened and she kicked the tread of the bulldozer. "Those bastards aren't going to get away with attacking my town! Walter, I'm going to need your people's help." 

"We'll do everything in our power to help," Walter promised. 

"Thank you. You need to hurry and bring your doctors back here," Flanagan said. "Time's critical!" 

Walter turned to his brother. "West, go to the Catholic Church in town and stay there until I come back for you, Maria, and Vera." 

West's brother than shape-shifted into a large golden eagle and flew off in the direction of the mountains. 

"Oh my, God," Maria murmured. 

West had no intention of hiding in the church. "Mayor Flanagan, my family and I will help with the wounded." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Spider 

An odd assortment of birds landed out of sight behind courthouse. The Morning Dove was the last to shape-shift back. As the most recent werecreature, Laura required help from the other six members of their group. 

Benton wrinkled his nose--the smell of gunpowder was still strong in the air, along with the irony scent of blood. "It smells like a battlefield," he commented as they hurried around the building and onto Main Street where a triage had been set up. Many bodies still lay in the street and on the sidewalks covered by sheets. 

Liz noticed several small shapes of children hastily covered. Her temper rose as they sought out Doctor Wong, the head of Holton's new General Hospital. She'd spent months helping the wounded after the alien attack, but not since Nam had she seen so many people senselessly killed by gunfire. 

"Why?" Laura asked beside her. 

"Evil has no reason," Liz said. 

"I'm going to the police station," Walter said, "You guys help out here." 

As Liz and the others walked down the street she noticed West and Maria Skinner helping to tend the wounded. 

Doctor Wong saw them and hurried over. "Doctors, we need you over at the hospital in Surgery Two--pronto! The rest of you can help stabilize the victims." 

"Of course, Doctor," Liz said, "Come along, Laura, it looks like we have a long day ahead of us." The best way she found to deal with such carnage was to detach herself from what was happening around her and focus on the task of healing the victims who would be coming into her surgery. 

She and Laura jogged toward the newly built hospital four blocks away, while Jim, Benton, Blair, and Simon helped Doctor Wong and the other medical personnel and volunteers to perform triage on the remaining victims. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Bear 

It had taken Skinner only an hour to round up his team and fly back to Holton with them. He had left Frohike in charge back home to radio the others in the area to pull back together their militia. The whole area was in danger from this cutthroat gang. 

Skinner sprinted up the steps to the police station and hurried inside the building. Men and women were loading assault rifles and frantically pulling on bulletproof vests and riot gear. 

Sheriff Fife was shouting commands over the noise. "Stay in groups of ten! If you notice anything out of the ordinary radio for back up! Don't try to be a hero--we are on the defensive, so act like it!" 

Skinner made his way over to the Sheriff's side. Fife's suit was stained with blood--none of it his own. Skinner knew where some of the stains had come from. After they had driven off the gang, he had watched the Sheriff pick up and cradle a wounded six-year-old boy as the boy's parents laid dead nearby. 

"Walt, I could use your help with the prisoners," Fife said, leading him out of the squad room and up to the third floor. 

"Have you found out why they did it?" Skinner asked. 

"One of their gang members was leveling threats," Fife said, "He advised us to let them go or the full force of hell would rain down upon us." 

"He wasn't anymore specific?" Skinner asked. 

"After I put a bullet between his eyes he wasn't very talkative," the Sheriff stated bluntly. "However, the other gang members started singing like canaries." 

"It sounds like you have it under control," Skinner said not condemning the Sheriff's methods. The man had a town to protect against subhuman scum that would gun down children as they played. "Why do you need my help?" 

"I'm going to let one of them go with a message for their leader," Fife said. "I want you to follow him then come back and report the size and location of their force." 

"What about the other gang members?" 

"After their trial, they'll be taken outside of town and executed," Fife said coldly. 

"Isn't that a bit harsh?" Skinner asked, knowing in his heart that this was the only way to deal with them. He was having a hard time separating his past career in law enforcement with the realities of the present situation. There still were no national or state governments in the country. Communities more or less had to fend for themselves, or ask the military for help--a military that was already overstretched. 

"This wasn't the only town those scum attacked." Fife looked through the window in the door at the handcuffed paramilitary dressed gang members--they were hard looking men of all races. "Their leader sends armed groups on motorcycles into towns where they slaughter the citizens and burn homes and businesses then they issue an ultimatum to the survivors. To turn over everything they own to the gang and live or resist and die. These human garbage have seized control of towns from Ohio to West Virginia, killing hundreds of people and abducting and raping dozens of women." 

"Why hasn't the military done anything?" Skinner asked. 

"They probably haven't heard about the extent of this group's activities," Fife said, "These bastards have only been operating since February. But even if the military did know, I'm not sure they would have done anything about it, they've been fighting similar activities out west without much success. We're the first town that has defeated this scum. I'm worried that they will attack again in greater numbers." 

"But you're not going to wait for them to attack," Skinner said with a look of admiration at the Sheriff. 

"No, I'm not. With your help, Walt, I'm going to take the war to them." They stepped into the room. 

Munch looked over at them from where he and Bayliss were interrogating one of the gang members. 

Skinner smelled the strong scent of urine and noticed a stain on the front of one of the gang member's pants. The man had wet himself. The scent of fear hung heavy in the room as the other gang members looked fearfully at the Sheriff. They probably had never encountered anyone one of Fife's stern disposition in the towns they had blundered. 

"Him!" Fife pointed at the gang member with the pee-stained pants. "Uncuff him!" 

"Please, don't kill me," the man with stringy blond hair cried. 

"You're the only one of your companions who is going to leave my town alive," Fife said with a sneer. "I want you to take a message back to your leader. Tell him that he's a dead man. I will track him to hell if I have to, but in the end I will gun him down like the mangy dog that he is! You give him that message, boy, from Sheriff Moe Fife!" Fife turned to his lover. "John, you and Tim see this piece of human filth to the edge of town--if he gives you the slightest bit of trouble, kill him." 

Skinner stood back as they hauled the man out of the room. 

Fife turned back to Skinner. "Let's go up to the roof," he said. 

The police station was four stories high and they had a pretty good view of the town from its roof. "I think we should build watch towers on the edges of town," Fife said as they watched John and Tim walk the gang member down the street of the town to where another officer had parked a motorcycle. 

"I think it might be advisable," Skinner said, "You'd be able to see any threats coming from miles off." 

"Damn, Walt! I should have seen this coming!" Fife had tears in his eyes as he looked out over the town. "So many innocent civilians dead..." He touched his bloodstained suit coat. "I should have been better prepared. All those people lost their lives because of my incompetence." 

"Moe, you were hardly incompetent," Skinner said. "No one could have predicted this." 

"I should have been paying better attention to what was happening in other states and towns," Fife said. "Walt, after you track these villains back to their base, I want you to infect me and John with the Lycan virus. If it weren't for you and Bayliss shape-shifting these bastards might have gotten the upper hand. I don't want that to happen again." 

"Okay, Moe," Skinner said. "But you and Munch will be the last people I infect willingly, and you have to give me your word that you won't infect anyone else." He had nothing but the deepest respect for the Sheriff who had kept this town safe through trying times. 

"You have my word," Fife said. 

Skinner shape-shifted into an eagle and flew off to follow the biker. 

The man drove for hours into West Virginia where he finally pulled into a small town. From above Skinner counted nearly a thousand motorcycles. No wonder these people felt invisible in such great numbers. He landed on a tree nearby where the blond man parked. 

"Where's Bacus," he asked. 

"What is it Carter?" a large muscular black man asked, walking out of the house. "The others came back hours ago with unacceptable news." 

"The Sheriff of Holton released me to deliver a message," Carter said, "He killed Kaheem in cold blood, just aimed a gun at his head and pulled the trigger. The Sheriff is batshit crazy..." 

"Crazy?" Bacus laughed. "We've finally found a town with someone willing to fight to protect his territory. What was his message?" 

"That you are a dead man," Carter said. "He's going to track you down and kill you." 

"How big is his police force?" Bacus asked. Not waiting for an answer he continued, "Less than a hundred men would be my guess. Does he think he'd be able to defeat a thousand armed men? We'll head out at first light. I want the Sheriff to see his doom coming from miles off." 

Skinner had heard enough; he launched himself back into the sky and circled the area. His sharp eagle eyes took in every detail, noting the roads into town and the locations where the bikers were massed. Then he noticed something else, hiding in a ditch about a mile from the town was a woman with binoculars watching the house. Skinner knew this particular woman, so he landed in the ditch next to her. 

"Shit," she swore under her breath; the bird's landing startled her. Her eyes widened when the bird shape-shifted into Skinner. 

"Yves, do you want to explain why you're hanging out in a ditch?" Skinner asked mildly. 

"After you explain how a former Assistant Director of the FBI learned how to fly," Yves said, regaining her composure. 

"It's a long story," Skinner said. "I want to advise you to leave this area, it's about to become a battlefield." 

"By whom?" 

"You first," Skinner said. 

"I'm on recon with special forces," Yves said. "They heard about Bacus' gang and wanted to find out the extent of his activities. AD Skinner, the gang is holding women and men as sex slaves in several of the houses in town." 

"It sounds like you have information we could use," Skinner said. "Do you know where the town of Holton is?" 

"Virginia right?" she asked. "Off Country Rd 96 on the Carver River." 

"Yes. I need to head back there." Skinner looked up at the darkening sky. "Make your way to Holton and meet me at the police station." He morphed back into an eagle and flew out of the ditch. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Hawk 

Thursday, May 8, 2005 

Armed men and women from the mountain and valley communities had started showing up in Holton an hour after Walter had flown off to follow the gang member. Their leader, Melvin Frohike, was unarmed, but Fife knew the short man was a weapon more lethal than any gun. Paul and Mike Doggett drove in on big Bertha, which Fife intended to commandeer for his use. Helmut Schmidt, Don Wade, Vernon O'Neil, Arne Elend...were all present and spoiling for a fight. 

In all, the Sheriff counted five hundred men and women from the mountain and valley volunteering to defend Holton. They weren't the only ones showing up armed. The citizens of Holton also started gathering, soon their numbers swelled to three thousand seeking revenge against the gang that brought death to their peaceful community. Add Fife's four hundred member police force and they had a small army. 

Mayor Flanagan stood beside Sheriff Fife on the steps of the police station. Suddenly the door opened behind them, and Walter Skinner stepped through, motioning to Fife. The Sheriff and Mayor hurried over to his side. 

"What did you find out?" Fife asked. 

"They have about a thousand men," Walter said, "And they're planning to attack Holton again with their full force. Their leader, Bacus, hasn't done his homework, he believes you have less than a hundred officers on your police force, and thinks he could easily take the town." 

"Where is their base?" Fife asked. 

Frohike, Krycek, Kowalski, and the Smith brothers joined them on the steps outside the police station. 

"Bixley ...it's a small town in West Virginia," Walter said. "Only two roads go into the town, so it would be easy to launch an attack. However, I think we should lure them into a trap away from town. They are holding prisoners in some of the houses and I'd prefer not to put them in danger." 

"What do you have in mind?" Mayor Flanagan asked. 

"Let's go inside and look at a map," Walter said. 

They walked into the squad room and Fife spread out a road map of Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland. 

Walter pointed to an area on the map. "They'll have to take Junction 80 through the mountains before they come out onto the interstate. On a six-mile stretch of that two-lane highway there is a steep mountain cliff on one side and a drop off on the other. I'll take my team through the mountain and hide on the West Virginia side until the motorcycles drive by while you and your officers barricade the road on the Virginia side so they can't get through. We'll trap them between us." 

"It will be like shooting fish in a barrel," Jack Smith said approvingly. 

"Do we have time to set up the trap?" Fife asked. 

"They aren't going to leave Bixley until sunrise," Walter said, "We have all night to get the area secured and the road on the Virginia side blocked--some explosives drilled into the cliff should bring enough rock down onto the highway to block the path on the West Virginia side after they drive by." 

"Let's get busy then," Fife said. "I don't want any of these bastards to get away." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Fox 

Friday, May 9, 2005 

The rising sun cast a red glow across the sky as it crested the horizon, bringing the words of an old childhood verse into Mulder's head. 'A red sky in the morning a sailor's warning, a red sky at night a sailor's delight.' He sat outside on the porch swing, feeding Sarah a bottle as he stared reflectively at the red dawn. It seemed the appropriate start to a day where his husband and friends had gone off to battle. Last night Mulder hadn't gotten a wink of sleep; it was hard sleeping without Walter's warm body cuddled up beside him. Sonja, Vera, Lilia, and Nicholas had spent the night to help with the children. Frohike and Byers had dropped off Kyle and Caroline before heading to Holton with Langly and Spender. At least Vecchio had stayed behind to take care of his, Benton, and Stan's babies. 

Mulder sighed as he thought about the men, women, and children that were killed yesterday. The brief innocence of the town of Holton was now gone forever, and so was the prospect of a peaceful future. From this day forward steps would have to be taken to prevent a similar attack--steps to protect the whole area from hostile groups. And a memorial would have to be built to honor those killed in the brutal attack. 

It appeared man was still the most dangerous creature on the planet. Gorag would have been disappointed at the savagery that took place off the mountain and would be taking place later this morning. The gargoyle hadn't been back since he had left a few months ago. 

"We'll try to make this a better world for you, Sarah," Mulder murmured looking down at her sweet face. Her bright blue eyes gazed up at him as her pink bowed lips suckled on the bottle. Breathing in her scent helped Mulder fight the melancholy he was feeling. 

"Do you mind if I join you?" Lilia asked, stepping out on the porch with one of the triplets. 

"No," Mulder said, "Please have a seat." 

"You are worried, no?" she asked, sitting on the porch swing next to him. 

"I shouldn't be." Mulder shrugged. "Walter and the others can take care of themselves. It's rather difficult for me to be sitting on the sidelines when I'm used to being in the middle of things," he said with a sad smile. A sharp kick from Crevan reminded Mulder of the reason he had stayed behind. 

"My son said this was the first time that Holton has been attacked or threatened," she said. "Do you think there might be more attacks?" 

"Probably," Mulder said as he set the baby bottle aside and placed Sarah over his shoulder and rubbed her back, until she burped up a little milk on the swaddling cloth. "We've been negligent in our defenses and have paid little attention to what has been happening around the country. Living in this relatively isolated location makes it easy to forget that there's a big dangerous world beyond. Ranger Smith told us that soon after the aliens' retreat, the military started losing men and women who chose not to reenlist, instead left to go home to protect their surviving family members. The military no longer has the force to police the whole country. Instead they are focusing on the areas around their bases, and aiding communities like Holton with rebuilding and weapons for its police force." 

"Are you afraid for the future?" Lilia asked. 

"No. This mountain is probably the safest place on Earth." Mulder stood. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to put Sarah in her bassinet and get the other children up and dressed." 

"I'll help you," Lilia said, standing. 

"Thanks," Mulder said. "Would you mind getting the girls dressed?" 

"It would be my pleasure," she said, smiling softly. 

It was obvious to Mulder that being there had given Krycek's mother peace of mind and spirit that she had been lacking for so long. 

The triplets and Kyle had been fed and were sleeping in their bassinets, and Sonja was in the kitchen with Vera preparing breakfast while Nicholas was out in the barn milking the cows. Mulder put Sarah in the bassinet next to Kyle while Lilia put baby Nicky in the remaining bassinet. 

Mulder walked into the bunk bedroom and paused to look at the two little boys sleeping peacefully curled up under the blankets. It seemed a shame to wake them, but if he allowed them to sleep in it would be all the more difficult to get them to go to bed on time tonight. 

"Rise and shine, sleepy heads," he said, pulling the blanket off Connor. "Grandma is making blueberry pancakes with blueberry syrup and whip cream, if you sleep too long your sisters will eat all of them." Bribery didn't hurt as a means to get them up either. 

"I want pancakes!" Joey sat up grinning and wiping the sleep from his eyes. 

"I too," Connor said, coming instantly awake. 

"The quicker you get dressed the faster you can get to the kitchen," Mulder said, opening the dresser and pulling out socks, shirts, and their denim overalls. While Sonja, Vera, and Nicholas watched the babies, Mulder and Lilia were going to have the kids help with the vegetable gardens this morning. Blair had turned gardening into a game for them with the kids each choosing a vegetable to tend and pick in a couple of gardens the men dug especially for them. Gwen had cucumbers, Connor sugar peas, Joey green beans, Aviva zucchini, and Chloe had eggplant. They had avoided giving the kids root vegetables to tend. It was hard to get excited about something that was growing out of sight underground. 

The asparagus garden was already producing dark green stalks. Old Man Peterson had planted the original asparagus plants, and the guys had enlarged the garden over the last few years. Mulder loved asparagus; it reminded him of springtime; it was the first fresh vegetable they picked from their backyard gardens. They also shared a three-acre plot with the Banks and the Lone Gunmen. In addition, they had cleared fifteen-acres a mile northeast of Moonridge Lodge. Five acres would be set aside for alfalfa for their cows, and ten acres for crops. The trees from that land were being used on their new addition and would be used for the Byers new addition, the elder Kryceks' home, and a log home for Jack and Marita with plenty of logs left over for future projects and firewood. 

Mulder smiled as he helped the boys dress. It didn't look like there was an end in sight to their construction projects. Ranger Smith wanted to expand the Ranger Station to turn it into a proper home for Francesca and their future children, and Mulder had a feeling that Jeffrey and Langly would eventually want a place of their own. For all the trouble happening around the country, their little community was thriving and it gave him some hope for the future--at least their little part of it. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Frog 

On the cliff, towering above the two-lane highway, the men had drilled holes in the solid rock and inserted explosives--it should be enough to bring down the side of the cliff to block both lanes. The trap was set, now they just had to wait. Six miles up the highway towards Holton huge bulldozers blocked the road with mammoth size blades of solid steel to provide the men shelter as they exchanged fire with the gang of murderers and rapists. Sheriff Fife didn't want any of those responsible for the intentional slaughter of men, women, and children to survive this day. Sharpshooters were positioned along the whole six miles of cliff. 

Frohike glanced over at Stan Kowalski. Earlier the man had talked Walter into convincing Benton Fraser to stay back in Holton to help out at the hospital. The Mountie would never approve of what was going to happen on the side of the mountain, and maybe that was for the best. At least one of them had a conscience, even if it were a bit altruistic. Walter had gone into full A.D. Skinner mode to convince Benton that Liz and Laura needed his help and protection more than they would. Frohike didn't think the Canadian bought that line, however Benton seemed to understand what was going to happen and thought it best, in the end, if he wasn't directly involved. 

"Where is she?" Langly asked. He had been keeping an eye on the road below ever since Walter had told them that he had run into Yves and had convinced her to go to Holton. The blond gunman promised Jimmy that he'd keep an eye out for her. Jimmy still had several weeks to go before he completed the change, so he had stayed back in Holton to help at the hospital. 

Frohike squatted behind a boulder on top of the forty-foot high cliff that looked out over the highway and an even steeper drop off on the other side protected by a guardrail. He observed his companions who watched from concealment along the cliff: Jack Smith, Marita, Byers, the Doggetts, Wade, Walter, Alex, Jim, Blair, Jeffrey, Langly, Simon, Joe, MacLeod, and Stan. Somehow their party seemed incomplete without Mulder. They were also missing Methos, Ray Vecchio, Naomi, and Sonja. Ranger Smith would be keeping an eye on the area from his helicopter once the fighting started. 

The distant rumble of motorcycle engines broke the quiet, growing louder as the seconds passed. Overhead, the sky darkened and thunder roared off to the west. Frohike glanced at Walter who was holding the trigger to detonate the explosives as soon as the last motorcycles disappeared from sight. Afterward they would fly down in the shapes of birds then morph into their more dangerous forms to attack the gang from the rear. 

The first of the motorcycles started to pass below with dangerous looking men dressed in leather and combat fatigues. A thousand motorcycle engines drowned out the thunder from the approaching storm. 

A silent rage built in Frohike as he watched them drive by. Earlier he had visited his wife at the hospital and had seen the victims of this group's attack. Two hundred civilians wounded and sixty-two killed. The little man was more than ready to deal out some retribution. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Scorpion 

Instead of doing as Skinner had requested, Yves stayed in the ditch and continued her surveillance. She had decided that Skinner couldn't possibly be the former Assistant Director of the FBI but instead had to be an alien morph. She wondered what the alien's involvement was in the town of Holton. When the bikers had driven off in the morning, Yves had followed them on an off road dirt bike. 

By the time she reached the highway through the mountains, it had started to rain and thunder crashed loudly overhead. It was because of the thunder that she mistook another loud bang for it until the side of the mountain started to come down on her. Rocks stuck her and only sheer luck saved Yves from being crushed to death; spotting a crevice in the rocky cliff she fell off the speeding bike and rolled under the rocky ledge into the natural-formed fissure just as tons of rock and dirt crashed down on the highway. She curled into a ball as dust and dirt had her gasping for air. When the dust finally settled, Yves realized that she was literally buried alive. 

Her body ached where rocks had struck her, and she was pretty sure her right arm was broken. The helmet she was wearing had been cracked and Yves felt woozy as blood dripped into her eyes. After realizing that there was no way she'd be able to move the boulders, Yves wondered if it might not have been better to have died instantly, instead of facing the slow painful death from starvation. 

**"YVES!"**

The sound of a familiar voice calling her name stunned Yves. Was it possible that one of the Lone Gunmen had survived the alien attack? She'd gone to their headquarters days after the attack and found it destroyed and the smell of death had hung heavy in the air. 

"Langly?" she called hoarsely, finding it hard to talk as she laid in a cold, muddy puddle shivering while rain pounded the rocks. 

"Keep talking!" Langly called, "We'll get you out of there!" 

"What are you doing here?" Yves asked as her vision blurred and she almost lost consciousness. 

"Defending what's ours," Langly said. 

She heard rocks being lifted and tossed. The disquieting sounds of growling from some sort of animals disturbed her. Did Langly have dogs with him? 

"Are you injured?" Langly asked. 

"My arm may be broken and I think my skull might be fractured," Yves said weakly, closing her eyes as the shock wore off and the pain became intense, she realized her condition was severe and she might not have long to live. "Langly, did the others survive the alien attack?" 

"Yeah, Byers and Frohike are here although they are occupied fighting the gang right now," Langly said. 

That raised Yves' eyebrows, the thought of Byers fighting those leather-garbed brutes was a bit hard to imagine. "What about Jimmy?" she asked apprehensively. 

"He's alive," Langly said, grunting as he lifted another rock then added, "Not that you would care, but Jimmy was going to leave us to search for you." 

The thought that Jimmy had cared enough about her to leave his friends to find her warmed Yves' heart as she struggled to hold onto life. For most of her life, Yves had no one that truly cared for her. Even her own mother had abandoned her at birth. "Do you have animals with you?" 

"Sort of," Langly said. 

Then another male voice with a Scottish accent spoke, "It's going to take the three of us to move this boulder." 

"Jeff, get on that end, we'll roll it off," Langly said. 

That was the last thing Yves heard as her life leached out of her. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Falcon 

Buried beneath tons of rubble had been a pre-immortal, MacLeod had felt her human death. Now as he helped remove the debris, he awaited her immortal rebirth. Down the highway, MacLeod had felt the presence of a very old immortal, and he knew the other immortal was aware of him, too. If Walter and the others didn't tear off his head, MacLeod knew he'd be facing him shortly. 

"So is this the woman, Jimmy is in love with?" he asked Langly. 

"The poor sap doesn't stand a chance with her," Langly said in a low voice. 

"She can't hear you," MacLeod said as lightning flashed overhead and rain danced off the rocks. 

"What?" Langly turned to the wet pile of rubble and called, "Yves, say something! Let us know you're all right!" 

"Don't worry, she'll be fine," MacLeod said, seizing a large rock and tossing it into the chasm then listened until he heard it strike water. A river ran below the cliff. 

"How did you know she had lost consciousness?" Jeffrey asked as he helped them remove the heavy rocks. 

"She didn't--she died." MacLeod strained as he pushed a boulder off the pile. 

"She can't be dead!" Langly snapped. "It would break Jimmy's heart!" 

"It's only a temporary death." The Highlander wiped the rain out of his eyes. 

Langly stopped and stared at MacLeod. "Are you saying that she's an immortal like you and Methos?" 

"She will be once she comes back to life." MacLeod turned to look down the highway as the sound of the battle grew louder. He hoped the guys would be able prevent any of the gang from heading toward them until after they rescued Yves. It shouldn't be too difficult with a panther, grizzly bear, and twelve wolves between them and the gang. 

It took them an hour before they finally pulled her free. MacLeod picked Yves up and carried her to the other side of the rubble pile and laid her down on the pavement. He removed the shattered helmet from her head as rain continued to pour down on them, making the white t-shirt she wore beneath the leather jacket transparent. She wasn't wearing a bra; MacLeod observed then commented, "She's a beautiful woman." 

Langly and Jeffrey kneeled on the other side of her. The blond gunman lifted her hand and felt her wrist for a pulse. "She is dead," he murmured sadly. 

"Don't worry, Langly," MacLeod said, standing and drawing his sword. "Guard her ...I need to join the battle." He had felt the presence of the other immortal getting nearer. 

MacLeod walked a quarter mile down the road and was met by seven gang members running toward him with looks of pure terror on their faces. Four wolves were chasing them. He pointed his sword at a tall, muscular, black man and shouted, "There can be only one!" He recognized the other immortal from an encounter over a hundred years ago. 

"Not today, Highlander!" Bacus shouted back then turned and jumped off the cliff. 

Several seconds later there was a splash as his body hit the water below. The jump from the cliff into the river would kill most men but not an immortal. Instead of facing the wolves the other six-gang members decided to follow their leader off the cliff. 

MacLeod walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down at the rushing river. Bacus had been a warlord six hundred years ago in Africa where he sold his own people into slavery. The immortal was a nasty piece of work. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Wolf 

The wolves sniffed through the bodies, making sure there were no survivors. Bullets and rocket launched grenades fired by Holton's police force from the top of the cliff overlooking the highway had killed most of them. The citizen volunteers had remained back in Holton to guard the town. Nineteen officers had been killed in the battle and many were wounded. 

Sandburg morphed back to his human form. His ears still rang from the sound of gunfire. The battle had lasted seven hours. He never was in the military and wasn't used to so much bloodshed. Most of his companions had seen combat in one form or another. The steady rain-washed the blood into bright red puddles. The whole side highway seemed a washed in blood. How many men had he killed this day? He wasn't sure, but it must have been around twenty. Jack and Alex had a natural knack for hunting and tearing out their prey's throats. The two of them had killed far more than the others in the pack. 

The carnage hadn't seemed so bad when Sandburg had been in wolf form but as a human it made him sick to his stomach. Hundreds of bodies were scattered along the six-mile stretch of highway. It was going to be a grueling job cleaning up this gruesome mess and burying the bodies. Shuddering, he walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down. The rain had swelled the river, making it flow faster. Quite a few of the gang had leapt to their deaths rather than face being torn apart. 

"Chief," Jim said, coming to stand next to him. "Are you all right?" 

"No. I think I'm going to be sick." 

"I remember my first battle ...the first time I killed a man in combat," Jim said. "I wasn't all right for weeks afterward. I finally had to put it out of my mind so I could go on with my life." 

"I killed so many...." 

"We had no choice," Jim said, placing a comforting arm around his lover's shoulders. "Just remember what these men had done and what they would have continued to do if we hadn't stopped them. The story about what happened here today will spread and it might prevent others from thinking they can attack our community." 

"Or it might encourage them to take us on," Sandburg said. 

"We'll be better prepared next time." 

"I want to go home," Sandburg said. He wanted to hug their children and take a hot shower to wash the blood off. 

"Our job is done here," Jim said, "Walter and the others can wrap up any loose ends." 

The rain had finally stopped and the late afternoon sun peaked out of the clouds casting a colorful rainbow across the horizon. It looked like one end stopped where their home was located. 

"Let's fly home," Sandburg said then shape-shifted into an elf owl and sailed off over the river with Jim in the shape of a falcon following protectively behind him. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Puppy 

Bond was speechless as he stared in awe at Yves on the roof of the hospital. She was covered in mud; her clothes were ripped and bloodstained, and she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes upon. 

Ranger Smith had just dropped her, Langly, and Jeffrey off with his helicopter. The ranger had been transporting wounded officers from the battlefield to the hospital for the past several hours, and Jimmy and four orderlies would meet the helicopter on the roof with gurneys to transport the wounded to the ER. 

"It's good to see you again, Jimmy," Yves said pleasantly. 

"Are you hurt?" Bond asked his voice full of concern. "You have blood on your shirt." 

"It's the strangest thing," she said, "I could have sworn I had a broken arm and fractured skull, but now I don't even have a bruise. I feel incredible ...although I could use a hot bath." 

"The inn's suites have Jacuzzis," Langly said, "Mac wants you to stay there until he can explain what happened to you. He said you're going to require a teacher." 

"Is Mac the man with Scottish accent I heard while I was buried?" she asked. 

"Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod," Bond said. "He's a highlander." 

"Why would I need a teacher?" 

"Mac will explain it to you," Langly said then turned his attention to Jimmy. "Are Liz and Laura still in surgery? I thought maybe Liz should examine Yves before we head to Seacouver's." 

"They and the other doctors have been working around the clock in shifts," Bond said. "It's Liz and Laura's turn again." 

"I'm fine, Richard," Yves said. 

The blond gunman glared at her. "Call me Langly or Ringo, but never call me Richard." 

"Langly," Yves said firmly, "It sounds like your doctors have enough on their hands, without having to see me. Just take me to this inn ...I'm hungry and could use a bath." 

"I'll take you," Bond said, excited at the prospect of spending some time alone with her. He had driven with MacLeod to Holton in Doggett's pickup truck. The others had flown. Bond was fascinated by the prospect of turning into a bird; he wondered what type he'd be. 

"We should get back to the battleground," Langly said, "Before Alex and Jack claims the best motorcycles." 

"Is it over?" Bond asked. 

"Yeah and we won. As the old saying goes, to the victors...." Langly and Spender walked over to the edge of the building. 

"What are you doing?" Yves shouted, thinking they were going to jump. Instead they shape-shifted into a stork and pelican and flew off in the direction of the battleground. She turned to Bond. "What are they?" 

"Gorag called them werecreatures," Bond said as they watched the two birds disappear into the darkening sky. Night was approaching. 

Yves was in awe. "Walter Skinner changed into a gold eagle...." 

"He's a werecreature, too," Bond said. 

"How did he become one?" 

"According to Frohike, Mulder bit him during sex." 

"Special Agent Fox Mulder of the FBI?" Yves eyes widened. "He was having sex with his boss?" 

"They're married." 

"Married?" 

Bond smiled as he led her off the roof. "And they have three children and a fourth one on the way." He realized as he walked down the stairwell that Yves was no longer following him. Turning, Bond looked up at her. "Is something wrong?" 

"You just told me that two men have gotten married and have had children together. How is that possible?" 

"They're hermaphrodites," Bond said. "Mulder's a bit more of a hermaphrodite than Walter." 

"This is going to take a bit of adjusting." Yves started following him down the steps. "Which one is pregnant?" 

"Mulder is in his seventh month." 

"I'll believe that when I see it," she said. 

"You won't be able to miss it." Bond chuckled. 

The hospital wasn't as busy as it had been earlier in the day. All the rooms were full and they had to set up beds in the dining hall. 

"Yves, where have you been these past four years?" 

"I volunteered to work for military intelligence," she said. "The Bacus Gang case in West Virginia was to be my last permanent assignment with the military. I was going to try to find a quiet part of the country to call home and rest for a year or two." 

"This is a quiet part of the country." 

The sounds of people moaning in pain made Yves lift an eyebrow at that. 

"It isn't normally like this," he said. "Beside I live with Frohike, Liz, Langly, and Jeffrey on a mountain farm. It's the most peaceful place in the world." 

Yves smiled at him as they walked out the door and onto the sidewalk. "I'd like to see where you live; right now I could use someplace peaceful." 

Armed groups of people were milling around on the sidewalks. 

"Jimmy!" A large man dressed in overalls and carrying an assault rifle, and looking like he could win a wrestling match with a bear came strolling over. "Any news?" 

"Hi, Helmut, we won," Bond said. "When the Sheriff returns he'll fill everyone in on what happened." 

"Who's the woman?" Helmut asked. 

"This is Yves Harlow an old friend," Bond said. 

"Ms Harlow, you look like crap," Helmut said bluntly. "If you need some clean clothes the missus could whip you up a pair of overalls." 

"Thanks, but I'm fine," Yves said. 

Jimmy took her hand and led her down the road and to the truck; he opened the passenger door for her. 

"Thank you, Jimmy." 

"You're welcome, Yves." He smiled happily as he walked around to the driver side. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Scorpion 

Seacouver's turned out to be an old mill that had been converted into an inn with a bar and restaurant. There was also a gift shop with handmade clothing. Yves looked through a rack of sundresses that were a bit frilly for her taste but she needed something to wear. She finally settled on a plain red denim dress that had a straight cut to it and was more to her style. 

"That's a lovely dress," Naomi said, "Sonja Skinner made it for the shop. Most of her clothing sells right away." 

"She's quite talented," Yves commented. "It is nice of you to allow me to put this on credit." 

"No problem," Naomi said, "After all you're a friend of Jimmy's." 

Jimmy had left Yves in Naomi's care and had gone back to Holton to continue helping at the hospital, he had promised to be back in the morning to give her a tour of the area. 

"C'mon, dear, let's get you up to your room," Naomi said. "I'm sure you're more than ready for that hot bath. You're lucky there's a room available; the inn has been full but Ivan just moved in with the Doggetts to work for them on the farm. Paul and Mike really needed another farmhand since they had bought that place. Ivan seemed like a knowledgeable man from what I could tell, although he really doesn't speak English very well--I suppose he'll learn." 

Yves noticed that Naomi liked to talk and had been going on endlessly about people and places that Yves had no knowledge about. They walked up a broad staircase near the front entrance of Seacouver's, at the top was a small sitting area with chairs and a sofa where people could socialize. Naomi led her down the hallway, where Yves counted six doors. Each door had a nameplate next to it and a display case built into the wall. 

"Here we are," Naomi said, and opened the door to the Yokohama suite. "There are fresh towels in the bathroom and I had Claire put a freshly laundered, terrycloth robe in the bathroom for you. Anton is fixing you something to eat; he'll put the tray on the table if you're still in the bathroom when he drops it off. Just place your soiled clothes in the laundry bag and set it outside the door, and the night maid will pick it up." 

"Thank you, Naomi," Yves said. 

She glanced around the room as the other woman left. Rooms of this quality and service were hard to find currently in the country. She'd spent most of her time over the past four years sleeping outdoors or in flee-ridden motels with one eye opened. This was really going to be a treat, she thought as she stripped off the soiled clothes and stuffed them into the laundry bag before walking into the bathroom. 

She could have done a happy dance at the sight of the sunk-in Jacuzzi bathtub. Turning on the faucet to the tub, Yves poured some scented bubble bath under the tap. The room also had a shower, so as the bathtub was filling Yves jumped into the shower to wash the grime from her body before climbing into the bathtub. 

Sinking into the hot foamy water, she sighed and closed her eyes. This was the first chance she had to think about what had happened to her today. How had it been possible for her to heal so quickly? She'd been injured in the past and never experienced anything similar. Could it be the area? Maybe something had contaminated the water that caused the mutations she'd witnessed in Skinner, Langly, and Spender. She had drunk from a stream near the town of Bixley the other night. ...Jimmy said that Agent Mulder had infected Skinner, but how had Mulder been infected? What was this Highlander's involvement in all of this? There were too many questions and not enough satisfactory answers. 

However, it was good to see Jimmy again; she hadn't realized how much she had missed him. After she turned in her report to the military, Yves was looking forward to spending some time with him. She hoped this area was as peaceful as he had claimed it was. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Bear 

Saturday, May 10, 2005 

Unlike Blair, Skinner didn't feel any remorse over mercilessly wiping out this ruthless gang. Maybe if Blair had been in Holton and witnessed children being gunned down and their bloody bodies lying like rag dolls on the ground, it might have steeled his heart. Skinner had looked at those dead children and his heart wept. How would he have coped if it had been Connor who was lying dead on the hard pavement? 

Skinner lifted the legs of one dead gang member while Joe Dawson took the other end and they swung the body into the bucket of the wide-loader. The construction crew had dug a deep pit in a field beside the highway where they were burying the dead. The bodies of the nineteen officers killed had been driven back to Holton where they would be given a full honors burial. 

The men had been removing bodies for ten hours. It was four o'clock in the morning and they were working by headlights of the heavy equipment. Skinner was exhausted; he hadn't slept or ate for over forty-eight hours. 

Jim had returned after seeing Blair got home safely. He was now teamed with MacLeod. The Sentinel had told Skinner that Vera, Maria, and West were at Moonridge Lodge helping with the children; giving Fox a much needed break. One thing keeping Skinner going was the knowledge that Fox would be home waiting for him. When this was all over he was going to talk his parents into watching the kids and spend the day in bed with his husband. 

Stan, Jack, and Marita had gone with Sheriff Fife and a hundred of his officers to Bixley. They were going to take out the remaining gang members and rescue the surviving citizens. 

The sound of approaching vehicles halted the men from their gruesome task. Skinner, Joe, and the others walked down the road to find out what was going on. Cars and trucks were parking along the highway just past where the battle had taken place. 

About a hundred farmers and towns' people climbed out of them. Mayor Flanagan was in the lead. 

"We've come to help with the cleanup," Flanagan said. "You've done enough, go home and rest. We'll take over from here." 

"Thanks, Meg," Skinner said. He was more than ready to turn this job over to someone else. Since only the police and a few of the farmers knew about their ability to shape shift, Skinner and the others melted into the darkness away from the headlights before changing into birds. Jeffrey and Langly had wanted to ride a couple of Harley's back to the mountain, but Frohike and Skinner had forbidden them from taking any of the motorcycles. They did not want anything from this murderous gang tainting their mountain. John and Sean had talked Alex and Jack out of taking the bikes or anything that had belonged to the gang. They hadn't put up much of a protest; they'd had enough of the slaughter and didn't want any reminders. 

The bikes would be melted down and the metal and put to other uses. 

They were an odd assortment of birds that flew towards Holton and the mountains beyond. As they flew past Holton, Paul and Mike changed course for their farm while the others continued toward their homes. When Skinner caught sight of their log home he noted that the kitchen lights were on, landing, he and the others walked in through the back door. 

Fox and Blair were in the kitchen baking bread. 

Skinner hurried over to embrace his lover, but Fox held up a hand and pressed it against his chest preventing Skinner from hugging him. 

"Stop!" Fox made a face. "Go grab a shower; you're covered in dried blood and you stink--really badly." 

Skinner glanced down at himself, holding up his hands and noticing they had dried blood on them. He hadn't even realized his state of appearance was so bad. 

"Walter, I'm not sure your clothes are salvageable," Fox said, shaking his head. Then he turned to the others. "That goes for you three too, wash up and I'll reheat dinner for you." 

"C'mon, big guy," Blair said to Jim, "I'll wash your back for you." 

Skinner's stomach growled at the mention of food. He was starving. "Okay, Fox, but I expect a proper greeting from you after my shower." 

"Brush your teeth and I might consider kissing you," Fox replied with a mischievous grin. 

Skinner walked into his bedroom while Alex and John headed upstairs. Once in the bathroom, he was shocked by his image in the mirror. The clothes were definitely not savable. Stripping, Skinner piled the soiled garments in the corner--he would burn them in the morning. 

He stayed in the shower until he felt clean again. After drying, Skinner brushed his teeth then pulled on a robe and stepped into his slippers before heading back out to the kitchen. 

"Why weren't you in bed?" he asked Fox as they hugged and kissed. 

"I couldn't sleep ...something was missing from my bed." Fox rested his head against Skinner's and sighed contentedly. 

"That something has returned and after I eat I plan to take you to bed with me." 

"I probably will only be able to sleep with you for an hour." Fox walked over to the stove and scooped Skinner up a bowl of potato cheddar and chive soup. "The kids will be getting up in a couple of hours." 

Skinner sat at the counter. "I guess I'll have to settle for having your warm body to cuddle with for only a short time." 

While he was eating, Alex and John joined him at the counter and Fox served them bowls of soup. 

"Sweetheart, could you fix me bourbon on the rocks?" Skinner asked as he dunked a chunk of crispy bread into the soup. He needed something to help him unwind or else he wasn't going to be able to fall asleep, especially with sunrise less than an hour off. 

"Sure." Fox walked across the room to the bar. 

"My mom and dad are sleeping in our room with the triplets," Alex said. "John and I will probably have to crash on the sofa or in with Joey and Connor." 

"Vera is sleeping on the top bunk in the boys' room, she's been helping out with the babies," Fox said, setting the bourbon in front of his husband, he leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. 

"Thanks," Skinner said, relaxing. He felt like this was another world from the one he had just left. 

Frohike and Byers walked in through the back door. They had flown home to shower and change clothes then had driven their UTVs back to Moonridge Lodge. 

"We've come for Kyle and Caroline," Frohike said. "Were they any trouble?" 

"Nope," Fox said. "Blair changed and fed Kyle a couple of hours ago; Caroline's sleeping upstairs in the girls' room. You should probably let her sleep and pick her up after lunch. She's been having a fun time playing with the twins and Gwen." While Fox talked, he lifted two, seven-quart, slow cookers from the bottom cabinet and set them on the counter, along with their huge 24-cup rice cooker. "Better yet, why don't you and Laura come for dinner tonight and bring Caroline home afterward?" 

"Thanks, Mulder, we'll be back tonight," Byers said, "It will give me a chance to grab some sleep." He headed out the back door anxious to get home and to bed. 

Frohike walked into the great room and looked in the bassinet at his son while Fox retrieved ingredients from the cabinet and refrigerator. 

Skinner watched his lover who very seldom used the slow cooker, much less two. When Skinner used it, he never used more than the one seven-quart slow cooker to feed their family, and even then they had plenty of leftovers. "What are you making?" 

"Beef burgundy over rice," Fox said. "With you, Jim, Alex, and John catching up on your sleep today, I thought this would free me to help with the babies." 

"Why are you making so much?" Skinner asked, sipping the bourbon. "Not that I'm complaining; it would be nice having leftovers." 

"Alex's parents are here and so is Vera," Fox said. "Jimmy is going to bring Yves over later so I invited them to dinner, and I thought I'd invite the rest of the Gunmen. Frohike, do you think you and Liz will be free for dinner?" 

"Yes," Frohike said, walking over with Kyle in his arms. "You can count on it. Liz is coming home from the hospital this morning and after we catch up on our sleep, we'll be over." 

Skinner finished eating, then got up and poured himself another bourbon before sitting back at the counter to wait for Fox to finish slicing and pouring ingredients into the slow cookers. He browned the cubed beef in bacon fat before adding it to cookers then he replaced the lids and turned them on low. 

Before Fox could find another task to do, Skinner grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the bedroom. "I need you, Fox." 

"Don't worry about the kids," Blair called, "Vera and I will see that they are dressed and Sonja will be over to cook breakfast." 

"See," Skinner said, shutting the bedroom door, "You can spend the morning in bed with me." He helped Fox undress then tossed his robe over the back of the loveseat. 

Fox kissed him long and deep. "I love it when you taste of bourbon." 

With their bodies pressed together, Skinner could feel the baby moving against his stomach. "He's active this morning." 

"He's always active," Fox said as turned and crawled under the covers. "I don't remember the twins kicking me this much." 

"Maybe he wants out." Spooning behind Fox, Skinner held him firmly while resting a hand on Fox's belly. He fell into a contented sleep with the soothing movement of his son beneath his hand. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Raven 

Methos had felt the presence of another immortal the moment the pickup truck neared the mountain last night. He had cautiously spied on Jimmy and the woman with him and determined she was a new immortal and probably had no idea what she was. After Jimmy had left her in Naomi's care and headed back to the pickup truck, Methos cornered him. 

It turned out that Duncan had instructed Langly to see to it that Yves was given a room at the inn, and stayed there until Duncan had a chance to talk to her. Methos wasn't very happy at the prospect that his _Boy Scout_ boyfriend was going to take another immortal student under his wing. 

Duncan had arrived home early in morning. He showered then joined Methos in bed and snuggled up against him. 

"I see you found another stray puppy to train," Methos said. 

"She's a friend of the Gunmen," Duncan murmured. 

"How did she die?" 

"The side of a mountain fell on her." Duncan rolled over onto his back and looked up at the ceiling. "She wasn't the only immortal I encountered yesterday." 

"Who else?" Methos sat up in bed worried that an immortal had come so close to their home. 

"Badru," Duncan said. "He was going by Bacus." 

Methos sucked in his breath. "That homicidal manic is still alive ...tell me you took his head." 

"No, he jumped off a cliff rather than face me," Duncan said. 

"This time," Methos said, "he's not going to leave the area until he adds your head to his collection." They both knew that Badru often hunted immortals with a dart gun rather than face them in a fair fight. He'd temporarily paralyze them then take their heads. "We're going to have to keep an eye out for him and watch each other's backs." 

"We'll talk to Joe," Duncan said, "He might be able to think of some way to protect us from him. At least ensure there's a fair fight." 

"Go to sleep," Methos said, "We'll worry about it after you're rested." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Dragonfly 

Vecchio wasn't used to being alone with the babies in their huge log home. It was frustrating being left behind while his two lovers went off to defend Holton. But one of them had to stay, so they drew straws and his came up short. 

At least Logan and Eleanor were now sleeping through the night, and that gave Vecchio some quiet time to himself. He spent some of it at the spinning wheel. Their llamas had produced a nice coat over the winter, and he was spinning it into yarn. This was their main source of income, which wasn't very much. 

Since the snow had melted they let the llamas out of the cave and allowed them to graze on a hilly field next to the stream. The two female llamas were pregnant. According to the book on Llamas their pregnancy was between 330 and 359 days. 

The men used all of their savings this spring to purchase a barn kit from the lumber mill. Their friends were going to help them raise it next weekend. Then Paul Doggett was going to give them a couple of milking cows. Benny and Stan had already built the chicken coop, and Mulder had given them a couple dozen young chickens. They would be better prepared for winter than they were last year. At least they were no longer novices at putting up food and growing vegetables. 

Vecchio was making a pot of coffee when Benny strolled into the house. Blair had radioed from Moonridge Lodge last night to let Vecchio know that Stan and Benny were all right and that they had won the battle against the gang. 

"Where's Stan?" 

"In Holton, he's helping Sheriff Fife," Benny said, walking over to peek inside the bassinets. "He enjoyed being involved in police work again, and is thinking about getting back into it part time." 

"C'mon, he's not seriously thinking about joining Holton's police force, is he?" Vecchio asked. 

"Only on a part time basis," Benny said. "We could use the money, and the Sheriff did offer him a job. It will only be four days a week, June through August." 

"How much does it pay?" 

"Four hundred a week." 

"That much for only four days of work!" 

"Stan does have skills the other officers don't have," Benny said. "I'm going to take a shower and grab a quick nap." 

Vecchio wondered if he should get back into police work. Eleanor started crying, making the decision for him. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Scorpion 

Yves was speechless as she sat listening to Duncan MacLeod explain about immortals and how she was going to have to learn how to use a sword. 

Holding up her hand in a stop gesture, Yves said, "Let me get this straight. I am an immortal and there are other immortals who want to chop my head off with a sword. Just what is the point?" 

"There can be only one," MacLeod said. "The last one standing will be rewarded the final prize." 

"This prize is what exactly?" 

Methos chuckled and MacLeod glared at him. 

"As far as we can figure," MacLeod said, "The combined knowledge of all immortals that have ever lived." 

"To do what with exactly?" Yves asked, glancing over at Methos who was sitting on a recliner, petting a large Maine Coon cat. On the rug in front of the coffee table two, seven-month-old babies played. She observed both men were keeping a close eye on them. 

"Don't ask me," Methos said. 

"Rule the world..." MacLeod said with a shrug. 

Yves could tell he had no idea what the prize meant or really cared. 

"You're both immortals, so what's stopping you from taking each other's head?" she asked. 

"Neither of us takes the game very seriously," Methos replied, "That is unless someone is trying to kill us." 

"If you keep your head long enough," MacLeod said, "You'll discover that there are two types of immortals. Those who want to win the game and us who just want to be left alone." 

"All right, teach me how to use a sword," Yves said as Jimmy walked in through the side door, leading down to the stone patio. 

"Have you any training in self-defense?" the Highlander asked. 

"Extensive," Yves replied, "I'm an expert in fire arms and explosives, I have been trained in hand-to-hand combat and have a black-belt." 

"I thought as much," MacLeod said, "You carry yourself like a fighter. We'll start your training tomorrow at sunrise in the field behind Seacouver's." 

"I'll meet you there," Yves said, standing. 

"Are you ready to go?" Jimmy asked. 

"Sure, let's go see this farm of yours," Yves said. She was looking forward to seeing Frohike and Byers again and meeting the two women who would marry them. Paranoid conspiracy geeks weren't exactly your prize catch in her opinion. 

"Mulder has invited us to dinner at Moonridge Lodge," Jimmy said as he led her out the door and down a wrought iron staircase to the stone patio below. 

Yves had come outside earlier and had a cup of _real_ coffee on the patio while watching the waterfalls--it had been a boon to her spirits. The inn was located on a scenic spot, and she wouldn't mind spending the summer there. 

Jimmy led her over to where two horses were tied. "This is Melvin's horse, and Paul gave me this horse for helping him and Mike fence off a pasture on his farm last week. Paul's a really nice man." 

"Paul Doggett?" 

"Yeah, do you know him?" Jimmy asked, surprised. 

"No." Yves smiled as she swung into the saddle. "Naomi mentioned him last night." 

They rode down the road, passed a large chainsaw-carving of a grizzly bear, and up into a parking lot. There was a helicopter parked near a stable on a concrete landing pad, and a one-story ranch with an old government sign hanging near the door that read Blue Ridge Mountains Ranger Station. 

The door opened and a ruggedly handsome man with a moustache stepped outside. Yves recognized him as the man who had flown her to the hospital last night. 

"Hey, Jimmy," Ranger Smith said, "Can you bring something to Langly for me?" 

"Sure." 

The ranger stepped back inside and came out carrying a sturdy metal case that looked like it would hold delicate electronic equipment. He handed it up to Jimmy. 

"What is it?" 

"Some state-of-the-art, wireless, computer equipment that the military just developed to communicate over distances of a hundred miles radius without the need of a satellite dish," the ranger said. He nodded at Yves. "Ma'am, you're looking better today--nice dress." Ranger Smith turned back to Jimmy. "I figured Langly and Jeffrey could figure out how it works and replicate the technology. It would be nice to get our computers hooked up on a WAN with the town of Holton." 

"Cool, I'll take it to them," Jimmy said, setting the case in front of him on the saddle. 

They rode down an asphalt path with towering evergreens on either side. About a mile down the path they came to two connected geodesic domes nestle beneath some black walnut trees. 

"This is our new clinic," Jimmy said. "Liz and Laura are going to run it, and Alex's parents are going to work in the laboratory on a vaccine for the Lycan virus." 

"Are Liz and Laura the doctors Langly mentioned last night?" 

"Yeah, Liz is Melvin's wife and Laura is John's wife," he said as they continued over the bridge. 

"They married doctors?" 

"Liz is also a former army colonel." 

"You're kidding! Melvin _never trust the military_ Frohike married an ex-army colonel." Yves was really looking forward to meeting this woman. 

"Liz is cool ...you'll like her." 

They came to a fork in the path and took the narrower path to the right. "I think we'll ride up to Wolf's Peak first," Jimmy said. 

"What's up there?" Yves asked, enjoying the scenery and fresh air. She'd spotted a group of deer with their fawns off in the woods. 

"Ray, Stan and Benton's place," Jimmy said. "We built them a log home last year and are going to help them erect a barn next week. Ray and Stan are former Chicago police detectives and Benton is a Royal Canadian Mountie." 

They rode uphill until they came to a large log home built on a solid granite ledge overlooking a stream. Yves saw some llamas grazing below. 

Working on the four acre plot of land was a good-looking man with brown hair. 

"Hi, Benton!" Jimmy called, holding the metal case in his hand as they climbed off the horses. 

"Hey, Jimmy!" Benton called back and leaned the hoe against a wheelbarrow, and walked over to them. 

"This is Yves Harlow," Jimmy said, introducing them. "Yves, this is Benton Fraser." 

"Miss Harlow, it's a pleasure to meet you," Benton said. 

"Please call me Yves," she said. "What are you planting?" 

"In this section of the garden I'm planting potatoes, zucchini, and green beans," he said. "The back rows will be corn." 

"Have you planted the asparagus?" Jimmy asked. 

"Ray and I planted that last week," Benton said, "It will take a couple of years before we get any stalks." 

"Did Stan make it home?" Jimmy asked. 

"Yes, he's inside sleeping," Benton said. "Ray's in the kitchen if you want to go inside and introduce him to Yves." 

"Okay, see ya, Benton," Jimmy said as he led Yves over to the house. They tied the horses to a hitching post and Jimmy left the case beside it before going inside. 

Yves looked around at the sturdy log walls and the polished hardwood floor, in the kitchen was a slim man with a prominent nose. He was making what smelled like pasta sauce. 

"Hey, Jimmy!" the man said. 

"Ray, this is Yves Harlow," Jimmy said. 

"Thee Yves Harlow? The woman who has stolen your heart?" Ray held out his hand. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, and I must say, I can certainly see why Jimmy has been pining away for you." 

Yves shook his hand and glanced over at Jimmy who was blushing. "Were you really pining for me?" she asked, pleased she had that affect on him, but concerned that it was only one-sided. She liked him a lot, but she wasn't sexually attracted to him. Yves preferred women. 

"I was going to leave the mountain and search for you this summer," Jimmy confessed. 

She smiled at him. "That was sweet of you." 

A baby started crying and Ray moved the pasta sauce off the burner. "If you'll excuse me that sounds like Logan, he's always hungry." 

They followed him into the great room were two bassinets were set up. Ray tenderly scoop up the baby boy into his arms and sniffed his bottom. "Diaper change then a bottle." 

"Ray, we need to get going," Jimmy said. 

"It was nice meeting you, Yves," Ray said. 

"You, too." 

When they stepped outside, Yves asked, "Where did the babies come from?" 

"Stan gave birth to Logan and Ray gave birth to Eleanor in February." 

"They're hermaphrodites like Mulder and Skinner?" 

"Yes, most of the men living on this section of mountain are hermaphrodites." 

Jimmy picked up the case and they swung into the saddles and started down the path. From the top of the hill Yves could see a large lake. "Does the lake have a name?" she asked. 

"Frohike calls it Big Lake," Jimmy said. 

"That's not a very imaginative name." 

"What would you name it?" 

"I'd have to learn more about it before I could select a name." 

They followed the path to a three-story log home built on the shore of the lake. The property had a barn and a chicken coop, and a wooden dock had been built on the lake with a fishing boat tied to it. 

A family was working out in a large vegetable garden. Next to the garden in the shade of a tree was a playpen with a baby playing inside. Yves noted that gardening seemed to hold a special meaning to these people. "Does your place have a vegetable garden, Jimmy?" she asked as they rode over to the family. 

"Yes. We need to put up food for the winter so growing vegetables is an important part of life here." 

"Hey, Jimmy," a young black man around twenty said. 

"Hey, Daryl." 

A woman of Korean decent stopped her work and smiled at them. "Hi, Jimmy, who's your friend?" 

"This is Yves Harlow," Jimmy said. "Yves, I'd like you to meet the Banks: Daryl, Jin, Wren, and the baby is Jasmine. Jin, where's Simon?" 

"He's still sleeping," she said. 

"Can you tell him we stopped by?" Jimmy said, "I'm giving Yves a tour of the area." 

"I will," Jin said. "Come back tomorrow and I'll make lunch for us." 

"Well do," Jimmy said. 

"It was nice meeting you," Yves said before they continued on their way. 

They rode around the lake while Yves admired its beauty--the sun shown off its surface, reflecting the blue sky. They finally arrived at a small farm with an old barn; smoke house, chicken coop, and a pen with several goats. The goats made a ma-aa-ah ma-aa-ah sound as they spotted Jimmy and rushed over to the fence. 

"These are my goats," Jimmy said, "Since we don't raise them to eat, Melvin allowed me to name them. We use their milk to make cheese, soap, and milk for the babies. John and Alex have been trying to get their triplets used to drinking goat's milk, so they can wean them off breast milk." 

"Where do they get the breast milk from?" Yves asked. Jimmy had already filled her in on all of the children and babies on this part of the mountain and their unusual mothers. 

Jimmy blushed and Yves suddenly understood. She slid out of the saddle and looked at the log home. Part of it looked weathered from age; the upper part was recently added. 

Frohike stepped out the back door of the house. He had a baby in a bjorn strapped to his chest. "Yves." 

"Melvin, you're looking...good," she said. "Is that your son?" 

"Yes." 

A very pretty, petite, redhead walked out the back door carrying a picnic basket. She smiled at Yves. "You must be Yves! It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. The guys have gone on and on about you and your exploits...." 

"We have not," Frohike grumbled. 

"You're Melvin's wife, Liz, aren't you?" Yves said, holding out her hand to the other woman. 

"Yes, I'm the lucky woman," Liz said, smiling affectionately at Frohike. 

"This is indeed a pleasure." Yves looked down at the basket in Liz's hand. "Are you going on a picnic?" 

"No, we're heading over to Moonridge Lodge to help with dinner," Liz said, holding up the basket. "Mel baked some chocolate bread pudding for dessert." 

"Bread pudding sounds delicious," Yves said. "I had tiramisu for dessert at Seacouver's last night. It was the first time I've had dessert in almost three years. I hope you realize how lucky you have it up here, the rest of the country is in pretty bad shape." 

"Believe me, Yves," Liz said, "I know how lucky I am to be living here." 

"We'll see you over at Moonridge Lodge," Frohike said, taking his wife's free hand and pulling her over to a UTV. Liz placed the picnic basket in the back and got behind the wheel while Frohike climbed in the passenger seat. 

Yves watched them until they had driven out of sight. She had to admit that they were a cute couple. Cute was a word she'd never thought she'd use to describe Frohike. 

Jimmy placed his hand on her shoulder. "C'mon, I want to give this case to Langly." 

They walked into the house through the back door. Langly and Jeffrey were sitting at the round kitchen table fiddling with some electrical equipment. 

"Langly, Sean asked me to drop this off to you and Jeffrey," Jimmy said, handing him the case. 

"What is it?" Langly placed the case on the table. 

"He said it was some sort of advance military equipment," Jimmy said. 

Yves smiled. "He said it was state-of-art, wireless, computer communications equipment that has a range of a hundred miles. He thought you'd be able to use it to set up a WAN with the town of Holton and other towns within range without the need for expensive satellite dishes." 

"We have a satellite dish," Langly said, opening the case. "Wow! Tell Mulder that we won't be able to make it to dinner tonight." 

Inside protected with foam insulation was tiny electronic equipment. 

Jeffrey looked at it and smiled. "Jimmy, bring us back the leftovers and tell Walter it's for a good cause." 

"Sure, guys," Jimmy said. "C'mon, Yves, I'll show you around. Let's start in the root cellar." 

The tour took over an hour with Jimmy going into detail about how they spent spring, summer, and fall preparing for winter by growing food and chopping firewood. Fishing and hunting were big activities even in the winter. They also would get fresh meat from Paul Doggett and flour, sugar, rice and other staples from Ranger Smith that he would pick up from the military distribution centers. 

At the end of the tour, she was suitably impressed. These men and women had built a well-organized community in the mountains. Now she was looking forward to seeing for herself the relationship between A.D. Skinner and Special Agent Fox Mulder. She had never taken the two men for gay, but looks could be deceiving. 

They rode down a wide dirt path, and came to a place where another path connected to it. 

Jimmy halted his horse. "Down that path is Wade and Sonja Skinners' log home, if you stay on it you'll go around the lake and come to the Banks place." 

"Are Wade and Sonja any relation to Walter Skinner?" Yves asked. 

"They're his parents," Jimmy said, "Walter's brother West and his family just moved here from Alaska and are staying with them until their home in Holton is built." 

"West Skinner the famous wildlife artist?" Yves was surprised; she hadn't realized they were related. 

"Yes. Wade and Walter are pretty good at art, too," Jimmy said, "Those chainsaw sculptures that you've seen at Seacouver's and along the paths were all done by Wade. He's doing one for the clinic and the town of Holton has commissioned him to do several for the town's central park." 

"You said Walter Skinner was good, too," Yves said as the rode down the path. 

"You'll get to see some of his work," Jimmy said. "A lot of the cribs and highchairs are decorated with his whimsical illustrations, and he made a beautiful stained glass window for his and Mulder's bathroom." They rode the horses through some bushes and out onto the front lawn of a huge log home. "Let's ride back to the barn and I'll show you the stained glass window." 

Yves followed Jimmy around the side of the house and they stopped at the window. 

"Oh, wow," Yves said impressed at the depth of detail in the piece, she noted that a red fox was the prominent animal on the window. The man was clearly in love and letting it come out in his artwork. "He was wasting his talents at the FBI when he should have been creating artwork like his brother." 

"He is now," Jimmy said. 

They rode into the backyard past several vegetable gardens and dismounted in front of the stable; Jimmy led the horses into the fenced coral and removed their saddles. She looked back at the house; Frohike's UTV was parked near the back door along was several others. There was a stone patio and a wooden deck where a hot tub was covered by a plastic lid. These people were definitely into comfort. 

The yard was larger than Frohike's place; it had large red barn, chicken coop, tool shed, workshop, and the stable for their horses. 

"Shall we go inside?" Jimmy asked. 

"Sure." 

Jimmy opened the vestibule door and they stepped into a small mudroom where muddy work boots were on mats under wood benches. 

Since their shoes were clean they stepped inside the house. The smell coming from the kitchen was mouthwatering; whatever was cooking made Yves hungry. She glanced around at the crowded home; Ray and Benton were there along with another man with blond hair. She recognized the Banks and assumed the really tall black man was Simon. A lot of the people were total strangers to her. Then her eyes fell on Fox Mulder, he looked a lot younger than she remembered him, but he was definitely pregnant. 

"Yves," Walter Skinner said, walking over and holding out his hand. They shook. "I'm so glad you could make it. This was only going to be a small party but it's turned into something much larger. After the past few days people needed a chance to unwind and spend it with friends. Jimmy, do you want to take Yves around and introduce her?" 

"Sure," Jimmy said. "Langly and Jeffrey can't make it, so I'd like to bring back some leftovers for them, if that's all right." 

"That's fine with me," Skinner said. "Fox has made enough food to feed an army, so help yourself." 

Jimmy smiled at Yves. "C'mon, I'll introduce you to everyone." 

He led her over to where Mulder stood talking to John Byers and an exotic looking woman of Native American ancestry. 

"Mulder, do you remember Yves?" Jimmy said. 

"Yes," Mulder said, smiling at her. "You're looking good." 

"So are you." She smiled back as she stared at his stomach. 

"This is only temporary," Mulder said, placing a hand on his belly. "Can I get you a drink at the bar--vodka gimlet, right?" 

"You remembered," Yves said. A couple of times she'd had classified information for him and they had met in a dark, smoke-filled bar. 

Mulder walked over to the bar to mix her drink, while Jimmy introduced her to Laura Byers. 

"John's mentioned you," Laura said, shaking her hand. 

"How have you been, Yves?" Byers asked politely. 

"Fine, for someone who supposedly died the other day," Yves said. 

Mulder returned and handed her the glass. "Here you go." 

"So, Mulder, whatever happened to that red-headed partner of yours? I hope she survived the alien attack." 

"Scully is living in San Diego with her brother and his family," Mulder said. "She'll be coming up here for a visit in June." 

"Does she know about you and A.D. Skinner?" 

"No." 

Skinner walked over and hugged Mulder from behind and kissed the back of his head. "We're taking bets," he said, "will Scully be more shocked that Fox and I are married or that he's pregnant?" 

"You can put me down for married," Yves said. 

"Papa papa!" a cute little boy called, running over and looking up at Skinner. 

"What is it, Connor?" Skinner asked. 

"Vera said you and Uncle West are flying in his airoplane to Alaska," Connor said, "Can I go with you?" 

"If your Daddy says it's all right," Skinner said, smoothly shifting the responsibility. 

"Daddy, please can I go?" Connor whined, looking up at Mulder. 

"If you promise me that you'll stay with Papa and not go wandering off on your own." 

"I won't wander!" 

"I won't let him out of my sight," Skinner said. 

"Can Joey go, too?" Connor asked. 

"If Uncle Jim and Uncle Blair say it's all right," Skinner said. 

"I'll ask them." Connor ran across the room to a beautiful, short, curly-haired man. 

Yves looked around at the people filling the house chatting. They all seemed right at home. Ranger Smith was there along with a beautiful blond and a handsome man who seemed rather familiar. In the great room five little girls were playing together. 

Jimmy guided her over to another group of people. "Yves, I'd like to introduce you to Alex Krycek, John Doggett, and these are Alex's parents Lilia and Nicholas Krycek." They shook hands as Jimmy introduced them. "And this is John's father Paul Doggett." 

"So you're Paul Doggett," Yves said, "It's a pleasure to meet you." 

"You've heard of me?" Paul asked, confused. 

"Naomi and Jimmy have been quite talkative about the people living in this area." She glanced at Jimmy and smiled then took a sip of her drink. 

"Dinner is ready if you want to serve yourselves," a middle-aged, petite woman announced. 

"Thanks, mom," Skinner said. 

"C'mon, Yves, set your drink on the table and let's fill our plates," Jimmy said. 

The center counter had been set up like a buffet. A large rice cooker was filled with cooked rice. Yves scooped a large spoonful on her plate then topped it with the beef burgundy from the slow cooker. Then she moved on to the large platter of fresh asparagus, and finally added a crusty dinner roll to her plate. 

She and Jimmy sat at the long, dining room table; several card tables had been set up to accommodate the crowd. 

The men and women prepared plates for the children and put them in booster seats at the table. Paul sat across from them and bowed his head and said a silent prayer. Yves took a bite of the meat and felt like she was in heaven, the meat was so tender and the sauce rich and flavorful. She was definitely going to hang around this area for the summer. 

Byers cleared his throat. "Guys, Laura and I've been talking and we'd like to build a log home closer to where the school is going to be. There's a patch of land off the main path across from the lake, between Frohike's place and here." 

"I know the plot," Skinner said. "We'll have to cut down a few trees in order to make room for a barn and chicken coop. At least it would save us from adding an addition onto your present place. What will you do with your beehives?" 

"We'll leave them where they are for the new owners." 

Yves looked over at them. "Do you have any buyers?" 

"No," Laura said. "We'd want to build our new place first." 

"I might be interested, in buying it," Yves said, not wanting this opportunity to get away. "It would be nice to have a place I could go to when I'm not working for military intelligence." 

"I thought you were going to quit working for them?" Jimmy said. 

"I no longer am going to work for them full time," Yves said, "But I'll still take the occasional odd assignment--if the price is right." 

"If you're interested," Laura said, "John and I will give you a tour of our place tomorrow, why don't you stop over for dinner?" 

"Thanks, I will, if you will tell me how to get to it," Yves said. 

"Just stay on the main path," Byers said, "Its twelve miles south from here." 

"How soon can we start work on our new home?" Laura asked. 

"It will have to wait until my parent's home is built," Alex said. 

"And after mine and Marita's," Jack said from the other table. 

"We can work on all three homes at the same time," Walter said. "I'll arrange for the large backhoe from Ace Construction so we can get the cellars and the leach fields dug at once. If we all work overtime on them this summer we should be able to have the homes completed before winter. We'll have to make a few trips into the ruins for plumbing supplies and hardware." 

Yves smiled. Going from being homeless to a potential property owner brightened her spirits. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Bear 

Monday, May 12, 2005 

BANG! An explosion had Skinner spinning around as the sound and smell of gunfire filled his senses. Suddenly the ground disappeared beneath his feet and he was falling. 

"Walter! Walter, wake up!" 

He opened his eyes, the bed seemed to be spinning then it slowed as Skinner came fully awake and looked up into Fox's concerned eyes. 

"You were having another nightmare," Fox said. 

"Damn," Skinner swore. His mouth was dry and the sheets beneath him damp with sweat. "I'm going to get some water, do you want a glass?" He climbed out of bed. 

"Maybe you shouldn't go with West today," Fox said. 

"I promised him." 

"Then don't take Connor and Joey." 

"They're looking forward to going." Skinner paused in the doorway. "I'll be fine. I had similar nightmares after Nam, and I learned to deal with them." 

He thought he could put the incident on that mountain highway out of his mind by not thinking about it. But it wasn't leaving him alone and Fox kept badgering him to talk about it which Skinner didn't want to do. 

He grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with tap water at the sink. After gulping down the contents, Skinner refilled it. One thing about their mountain home the water was always refreshing and cold. 

Fox was sitting up in bed frowning. 

Skinner handed him the glass of water. "Fox, in time I'll tell you about what happened, but right now I need a little distance from that incident. Please understand that I'm not trying to keep you out." 

"I know you aren't," Fox sighed and took a sip of water. "I just think it would help if you talked about it and how you feel." 

Reaching out a hand, Skinner placed his fingers under Fox's chin and lifted his head while leaning down and kissing him. "I love you, don't worry about me." 

Skinner felt a spike of arousal as Fox's hand cupped the back of his head and he kissed him back. "C'mon, let's go share a shower." 

* * *

Blair hugged Joey and adjusted his baseball cap. "It's still cold up in Alaska at night so I want you to wear your hat and listen to Uncle Walter." 

Skinner held Connor's hand while they waited for Blair and Jim to say goodbye to Joey. This was the boys' first plane trip and their first trip out of Virginia. They were excited about the adventure. 

"Don't worry," Skinner said, "I'll make sure he's dressed warmly." 

Joey hurried over and took a hold of Connor's hand. "Let's go!" 

Skinner helped both boys up the steps and into the plane. West was in the pilot's seat checking the instruments. 

Skinner buckled the boys into their seats. They were still too short to see out the windows when seated, so they would have to wait until the plane was in the air before they could look outside. He closed the plane's door and took the seat behind the boys to keep an eye on them while West started the plane. 

Earlier that morning Skinner had had sex with Fox in the shower; he needed the close contact to tide him over for two days. Skinner really didn't want to leave him at this time, but he had promised West. At least it was only two days and he could count on the others to take care of his husband, and taking Connor along would give Fox less work. In one month Scully would be arriving on the mountain and back into Fox's life; that still had Skinner worried. 

West taxied the plane to the end of the runway. "Are you boys ready to fly?" he asked. 

**"YES!"**

Skinner smiled and remembered his first plane trip, he had been seven and his family had flown out to California to see Disneyland. His children would never experience that small joy of childhood. 

When the plane was in the air, Skinner unbuckled Joey and Connor and let them look out of the windows as West circled the airport. 

"Joey, do you see your parents waving goodbye on the ground?" 

"They so tiny," he said, waving and shouting back to a voice only he could hear. "I love you too, daddy!" 

Skinner smiled and sat in the seat behind them. "When we get to North Dakota we'll eat the lunch Fox packed for us." He also packed a jar of peanut butter and blackberry jelly, and a loaf of bread. That should take care of their lunches for tomorrow and the trip back. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Fox 

Tuesday, May 13, 2005 

Mulder walked around the new family room, stopping to look out through two French doors that led outside to a fenced in play area. Helmut was just finishing work on the stone fireplace in the room. The upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms still had a months worth of work left to them. The family room had plenty of storage and tall built-in bookshelves. The jungle gym in the corner was a work of art and bound to get a lot of use this winter. The children were going to have a lot of fun in this room, and the guys were going to be able to keep the great room toy free. Mulder wanted to have the furniture moved into the family room and the children's toys and books in place before Walter returned from Alaska tomorrow. 

Sighing, Mulder placed a hand on his protruding belly, he was worried about Walter but at least they had been able to talk over the radio this morning. Alex, John, Jim, and Blair wouldn't talk about what happened on the mountain; the wall of silence seemed stifling. 

Walking into the new half bath off the family room, Mulder used the toilet then washed his hands. He stepped back into the family room. 

"Well, Mulder," Helmut said, mopping the sweat from his forehead as he stepped back to admire his work. "It's complete." 

"No matter how hard we try," Mulder said, "we cannot come anywhere near your quality of masonry." 

Helmut smiled. "It's why I charge so much." 

Compared to the work, Helmut always asked for next to nothing. His price this time was four bottles of Alex's homemade vodka, a large batch of John's tripe soup (which some of them would have paid him to take), and six jars of peanut butter. 

"C'mon, I'll feed you while Jim gathers together your payment." 

They walked through the great room into the kitchen. Mulder had intentionally fixed one of the large farmer's favorite meals--pork hocks and sauerkraut. They may need more work from him in the future. He'd found out from Helmut's wife Carol what he liked to eat then sent John down to the Doggett farm to retrieve the main ingredient. 

"Mm, something sure smells good," Helmut said. 

"I hope they turned out this was the first time I've tried making pork hocks," Mulder said. 

"That's one of the best parts of the hog," Helmut said. 

"Most assuredly," Wade agreed, he was fixing the faucet at the sink. 

"You've had them before?" Mulder asked. 

"Anytime Sonja and I would go out to dine at a German restaurant, I'd always get the pork hocks and sauerkraut," Wade said. "Sonja doesn't like them and won't make them for me. I think it's all the blubber that turns her off." 

"Then you and Helmut can judge if I made them right," Mulder said, pulling two plates down from the cabinet. "Do you know if Walter likes pork hocks?" 

"All the Skinner men like them," Wade said, wiping his hands on a towel he smiled. "I finished fixing the leaky faucet an hour ago, hoping the hocks would be done before I had to go home." 

Mulder dished up the pork hocks and sauerkraut and set the plates on the counter in front of Wade and Helmut, and then he retrieved the crock of homemade mustard from the refrigerator. 

"You're forgetting something," Helmut said. 

"What am I forgetting?" 

"Beer!" Helmut said loudly with a broad smiled. 

Wade chuckled and picked up the fork. "Son, it's a must with hocks." 

"Coming right up." Mulder walked back to the refrigerator and took out two bottles of Seacouver's traditional bocks. 

"What are you eating?" Jim asked, carrying a box into the house through the back door. Inside was the vodka and peanut butter. 

"Pork hocks and sauerkraut," Wade said, digging into the food. "Mm, Fox, these are perfect!" 

"They are pretty good," Helmut said, "Not quite as good as my Carol's but better than I've had anywhere else." 

"Jim, do you want some?" Mulder offered. 

"I think I'll pass," Jim said, looking at the fatty hocks. "You are making a normal dinner for the rest of us aren't you?" 

Mulder nodded to the slow cooker. Since he'd discovered how convenient it was to cook in, he'd been searching for recipes to make in it. "Beef Stroganoff." 

"Mm, do I smell pork hocks and sauerkraut?" Blair asked, coming into the house with Gwen, Aviva, and Chloe. He'd taken them out to the Japanese teahouse for a tea party. The girls had been a bit put out that Connor and Joey had gotten to go to Alaska and not them. 

"Would you like me to fix you a plate?" Mulder asked. "I have chicken salad sandwiches made in the refrigerator for non-pork hocks fans." 

"I'll have the hocks," Blair said. 

"Chief, they're so fatty," Jim said. 

"This is a good type of fat," Blair said. 

"Mommy, I want a sandwich and cold milk," Aviva said. 

"Me, too," Chloe said. 

"Me, three," Gwen added. 

"Me, four," Jim said with a smile. "But hold the milk; I think I'll have a beer." He walked over and checked on Sarah. She was still sleeping. 

Mulder pulled the Tupperware container of sandwiches out of the refrigerator, and set it on the counter. Blair in the meantime helped himself to a plate of hocks and sauerkraut. After serving the girls and Jim, Mulder looked at the remaining sandwiches then over at the large pot of hocks. "I think I'll try the hocks," he said, "for some reason I'm craving a bit of blubber." 

"It's Crevan," Wade said with a chuckle, "as a male Skinner, the lad knows what he wants. I hope you'll be making these again. This dish would be prefect on a cold winter day." 

Mulder set his plate on the counter and took a bite of the meaty part of the hock. "It is good. Yes, I'll definitely be making these again." 

"What did you do with the hocks from the shoats in the past?" Helmut asked. 

"I gave them to Frohike," Mulder said. This summer they were raising three shoats for the meat, and Frohike was raising three over at his place. Frohike would just have to settle for the pork hocks from his pigs. No way was Mulder giving him the ones from theirs, especially now that he knew that Walter liked them. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Panther 

Wednesday, May 14, 2005 

Ellison finished loading books onto the shelves in the family room. Besides normal sized furniture they had kid-sized, including some beanbag chairs that Sonja had made. 

Later this afternoon, Joey would be home and Ellison was looking forward to his son's reaction to the room. The guys had been keeping the kids out while it was under construction. The room should ease the stress from constantly having to pick up toys in the great room. In the family room, they wouldn't have to worry about toys being left out. Two large window seats lifted up to reveal toy boxes. Blair was filling them with the puzzles, plastic toys, and building blocks. 

"It's going to be easier to watch the children in this room," Blair said. 

Besides the beanbag chairs, Sonja had sown sleeping mats for the children's nap times. They were rolled up and stored in open-faced bins stacked up against one wall with the children's names above each bin. The bin also had a pillow and blanket. There was plenty of room on the floor for all the children to take their naps, including the triplets, Sarah, and Crevan. 

Fox and John walked into the room carrying the last load of toys and games. 

"Alex is wondering if he could bring the girls in now," John said as he handed the toys to Blair. 

"Yes," Blair said, "I can't wait to see their faces when they see the room." 

John walked over to the door and called, "You can bring them in." 

Ellison heard the sound of running feet as the girls beat Alex into the room. They looked around mouths opened in awe. 

"Mommy, I like this room," Chloe said, jumping up and down excitedly. She and Aviva ran over and sat on the beanbag chairs. 

Gwen wandered over to the corner where a small raised stage was built; her guitar case was leaning against the wall. A big smile lit up her face. "It's like Uncle Joe's stage," she said. 

"Sweetie, we expect you to entertain us with your guitar," John said. 

"I will," Gwen replied happily. 

"We entertain, too," Aviva said as she and Chloe ran over to join Gwen on the stage. 

"How are you going to entertain us?" Fox asked. 

"We sing," Chloe said then started singing 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' the other two girls joined in. 

Ellison looked over at Blair who was standing proudly listening. He'd spent hours teaching them that song among few others. The Sentinel could picture their little Sarah up there singing with the other three in a few years. 

After they had finished the song, the men applauded. 

"Blair, you haven't taught them how to take a bow," Fox teased. 

"I'll add it to my list," Blair said, "along with a few dance steps." 

Ellison walked over and wrapped his arms around his lover from behind. "You can teach them after we milk the cows and feed the livestock." 

"I have shit-shoveling duty," John sighed. 

"I'll help you, as soon as my parents arrive to watch the triplets," Alex said. 

"You have kid watching duty today," John reminded him. 

"Fox can watch the girls for a couple of hours," Alex said. "Besides he's cooking with the slow cookers again." 

"What's wrong with the slow cooker?" John asked, winking at Ellison. Both men had gotten up in the middle of the night to finish off the leftover beef stroganoff. 

"I'm making Osso Bucco for dinner," Fox said. "But I don't mind watching the girls; they can help me make vanilla ice cream." 

"Where did you get the veal?" Alex asked. 

"I'm using pork shanks instead of veal," Fox said. 

"Good," John said, "I don't approve of using calves for meat and I know my dad would never butcher any of his calves." 

The sound of babies crying from the other room had John and Alex hurrying out of the family room. 

Ellison smiled. Sarah didn't cry nearly as loudly as the triplets. She was a really happy baby, better even than Joey had been who Ellison had thought was perfect. "Are you going to be all right watching Sarah and the girls?" he asked Fox. 

"If I have any trouble I'll shout," Fox said. "C'mon, girls, lets go into the kitchen and make ice cream." 

"YAH!" Aviva shouted. 

"I want to play in here," Gwen protested. 

Fox smiled and held out his hand to her. "You can play in here after your daddy and papa finishes with the morning chores." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Hawk 

It had been a week since their town was attacked. The dead had all been buried and those with moderate wounds had been sent home from the hospital. They still had fifty people hospitalized in serious condition. 

Sheriff Moe Fife looked at the map of Holton and the surrounding area. "I want them built here, here, here, and here," he said, marking off four corners of the map for four, three-hundred feet tall watch towers that would contain living quarters for those manning them. They would be the tallest structures in the area. Fife wanted to know about every vehicle heading into his jurisdiction. The town of Holton would never be taken by surprise again. Not while he was the Sheriff! 

John Munch walked into the office. "Do you have a minute?" 

"Yeah, John," Fife said, "Ed, thanks for your time." 

"No problem, Moe," Edward Wise, the owner of Ace Construction Company, said. "I'll have my architect start on the designs for the towers immediately." 

The man left the office, brushing past Munch who closed the door after him. 

"What is it?" Fife asked. 

"Let's adopt him," Munch said. 

"Are you sure?" Fife said. "You've never wanted kids with your former wives." 

"This is different ...he's already past the diaper stage." Munch walked over and looked down at the map. "Moe, Zaid needs us and I think we need him." 

Zaid was the wounded six-year-old boy Fife had held and comforted while his parents laid dead on the sidewalk. The boy's parent had emigrated to the U.S. from Africa eight years earlier. Now the boy had no living relatives. "Okay, just don't expect it to be easy at first." 

"I have no expectations," Munch said, "Zaid is going to be carrying wounds from last week for the rest of his life." 

"He's only six-years-old," Fife said, "the memory of what happened to his parents will fade with time." The Sheriff only wished his memories of the event would fade. He still felt a burning hatred in the pit of his stomach for the men who had attacked his town even though most of them were now dead. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Bear 

Skinner had explained to his brother about his recent nightmares, and West had promised to check in on him during the night. The first night in Alaska, Skinner had been too exhausted to even dream after spending the day helping his brother load the plane with mostly Maria's possessions. 

The second day they spent showing Joey and Connor around the ranch. West had pointed out the Alaskan state flower 'forget-me-nots' to the boys, although the flowers weren't in bloom yet they wanted to take a plant home to plant in their flower garden. The boys also found shiny volcanic rocks that they wanted to give to Fox and Blair. It had been a pleasant day, allowing Skinner to relax, something he hadn't been able to do back home. He realized that Connor had picked up Fox's inquisitive personality. Earthworms held a particular fascination for him. 

"Why don't they have arms?" 

"How do they eat?" 

"Where are their eyes?" 

One question after another until Skinner was worn out from answering them. Not once did he lose patience with his son, he'd never want to discourage this part of his son's personality. 

Finally they were flying back home. 

"Papa, when is Crevan going to come out of daddy's belly?" Connor asked from the seat across the isle from him. Joey was taking his turn in the co-pilot's seat. 

"When he's ready, son," Skinner said, "maybe in a couple of months." 

"Is he going to be really tiny like Nicky, Pauley, and Marty?" 

"He's going to be small, probably not as small as the triplets were when they were born." 

West's voice interrupted their conversation. "We're flying over the Blue Ridge Mountains." 

Connor climbed out of his seat and onto Skinner's lap, where he kneeled to look out the window. "Do you think daddy missed me?" he asked. 

"I think he missed you a whole lot," Skinner said, kissing the top of his son's head. "I bet he even made your favorite dessert for after dinner." 

"Hot Fudge Sundae?" Connor asked excitedly. 

"That's still your favorite dessert isn't it?" 

"Yes!" 

Skinner wouldn't have gotten his son's hopes up, if he hadn't known that Chef Anton sent over a jar of fudge sauce, and Fox had told Skinner that he would be making sundaes to celebrate their return. 

He wondered if the guys were able to complete the family room. That would be the cherry on top of their return home. 

The plane made a smooth landing then taxied to the hanger. Jim and Blair were there to greet them with one of the executive vans. 

"Mommy, Daddy!" Joey called as he hurried off the plane. 

Jim caught him up in his arms and swung Joey into the air to giggles of happiness. Then Jim brought him down giving him a wet kiss on the cheek before passing him to Blair. 

"We missed you, champ," Blair said. 

"I missed you, too!" Joey said. "I brought you a black volcano rock with sparkles." 

Skinner watched them while helping West carry off the boxes they had packed. Maria was going to be the best dressed woman in Holton. Skinner would have been pissed at West if it were only Maria's clothes and jewelry they had flown all the way to Alaska to retrieve. But West had really wanted to get the paintings he'd painted for Fox and him along with the old Skinner family photo album that he had borrowed from mom but never returned. 

"How is Fox?" Skinner asked Jim who was helping him load boxes into the van. 

"Fine," Jim said, "You missed the beef stroganoff he made for dinner yesterday." 

"Are there any leftovers?" 

"What do you think?" Jim chuckled. 

"I think you, John, and possibly Alex raided the refrigerator last night." Skinner smiled if he had been home he would have led that raid. 

"You also missed the pork hocks and sauerkraut he made." 

"Fox has never made hocks and kraut," Skinner said disappointedly. 

"He made them for Helmut to thank him for doing the masonry work on the fireplace." 

"Is the family room done?" 

"Yeah, the girls have been playing all afternoon in the room," Jim said. "They particularly liked the stage. I think you have a couple of little hams on your hands, they plan on performing for you." 

Skinner smiled. The twins were becoming daddy's girls. They sought more of his attention and had become less clingy to Fox who found it amusing when the twins demanded that Skinner play dolls with them or select their outfits for the day. 

"Papa, can we go home now?" Connor said impatiently. "I'm hungry." 

West closed the back of the van. "That's the last of it." 

"I hope Fox made something good for dinner," Walter said. "All we had was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches the last couple of days." When they had arrived at West's place they had discovered that someone had broken in and stolen all of the canned soups and other food stuff, but they had left Maria's jewelry alone. 

"He's making osso bucco," Blair said as he buckled Joey into his car seat. 

"I've heard of it but I've never had it," Skinner said. "What's in it?" 

Dinner was still the most important part of their day. It was family time when they were all together, breaking bread, discussing life, and the day's events. 

"Pork shanks, carrots, celery, onions, tomatoes, red wine, beef stock, and various herbs," Blair said climbing into the passenger seat. "It's served over mashed potatoes." 

"It sounds like a hearty meal," Skinner said his stomach growling in agreement as Jim started the van. 

"It smelled really good," Jim said, "Just don't count on leftovers, we have a lot of guests coming for dinner." 

* * *

The trip home seemed longer than usual. Connor was tired and crabby, so Skinner had put him down for a nap in the back of the UTV. West was in the passenger seat as they followed behind Jim, Joey was sleeping on Blair's lap. 

"You're quiet," West said, "What are you thinking about?" 

"Fox." Skinner glanced over at this brother. "I hate being separated from him, especially now." 

"How are you going to deal with his former FBI partner?" West asked. 

"See if I can find her a job as a pathologist in Holton," Skinner said. "Otherwise Fox might offer to build her a house down the path from us." 

West chuckled. "That's the last thing you guys need this summer." 

They drove by the clearing where Alex's parents' home was going to be built. It looked like someone had already started to prepare the site. 

There was so much work to do this spring and summer that Skinner wished he could talk Fox out of them accompanying Methos to the old growth forest next week. 

"Maria is worried about moving to Holton," West said. 

"She shouldn't be," Skinner said. "But, at least your house won't be ready until this fall, so hopefully she'll feel differently." 

West smiled as he puffed on his pipe. "I hope so because I don't think Mom and Dad will want houseguests through the winter." 

They finally reached Moonridge Lodge and drove through the bushes. 

Skinner was stunned to see the new pole barn. Parking next to it, he climbed off the UTV. "This is a surprise," he said. The structure was an evergreen color and made out of metal. It looked fine next to the grove of pine trees. There were two lift up garage doors, one taller than the other. 

"Sean dropped off the kit after you had left for Alaska," Jim said. "It took eight of us over a day to assemble it." 

"You did a good job ...the structure looks sturdy," Skinner said. The floor was dirt, which might be a problem if they had any heavy rainfalls, but it would have taken a lot of concrete to cover the 2200 square feet. He wouldn't fault the men for wanting to get the building assembled as quickly as possible; leaving their equipment out in the elements wasn't good for it. There was enough room inside for all of the vehicles, including the tractor with plenty of room to spare. 

"We're going to store the plumbing supplies and furniture for the new log homes we're building this summer in here," Jim said. 

"We'll need to build raised platforms to store the furniture on," Skinner said as he lifted Connor out of the back of the UTV, cradling him against his chest. His son was still soundly asleep. 

Jim nodded in agreement as they walked to the house. "After we get back from the old growth forest I want to take a run into the ruins. There are still parts of that D.C. furniture store that we haven't explored." 

Fox was waiting for him in the foyer. "How was the flight back?" 

"Fine." Skinner leaned in and kissed him. It was sort of awkward with Fox's big belly and Connor between them. "How are you feeling?" 

"Tired," Fox said. "My feet are killing me." 

"I'll massage them tonight." Among other things that Skinner wanted to do to him that night. 

Fox smiled. "The girls are waiting for you in the family room. Why don't you wake Connor and show him the room, while I fix you and West a couple of drinks." 

"When's dinner going to be ready?" Skinner asked. 

"About an hour and a half, if you're hungry Alex and his mom made some deviled eggs." 

"I'm starving," West chirped in. 

Wade stepped out of the family room. "Fox, go put your feet up," he ordered, "I'll take care of these two." 

"I'm fine, dad," Fox said. 

Wade looked down at Fox's feet, and for the first time Walter noticed that his lover was barefoot and his ankles and feet were really swollen. 

Passing Connor to his father, Skinner put an arm around Fox's back. "C'mon, let's get you off your feet and I don't want to hear any arguments." 

To Skinner's surprise, Fox allowed him to help him into their bedroom and onto the bed. His dad and West had gone into the family room. 

"Your dad has been over before sunrise each morning since you've been gone," Fox said as Skinner elevated his feet with a couple of pillows. "I think he'd taken it upon himself to look after me." 

"He wasn't too happy that I left you to go to Alaska with West," Skinner confessed. "He thought we should have put it off until after the baby was born." 

"It was only three days," Fox said, trying to alleviate some of the guilt he must have noticed on Skinner's face. 

"I shouldn't have gone." He sat at the end of the bed and massaged Fox's feet. "What have you been doing that caused your feet to swell so badly?" 

"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to make some sauces and salad dressings." Fox sighed and closed his eyes. "I made three quarts of that mushroom wine sauce that you liked so much, and a gallon of barbecue sauce. I also made ranch salad dressing...." 

Skinner interrupted, "So what you're saying is you've been on your feet constantly for the past two days." 

"Yeah, that's about what I'm saying." 

"I'm surprised my dad didn't tie you to the bed," Skinner said, shaking his head. 

"My feet and ankles didn't really start swelling until this afternoon." Fox opened his eyes a crack. "Your dad did make me sit down and drink some hot milk." He yawned; closing his eyes and falling to sleep. 

Skinner sat and looked at his peaceful face, feeling like an ass for leaving him to go to Alaska. He should have told West no. A sound had Skinner looking over at the doorway. 

His father stood there holding a couple of drinks and motioned with his head for Skinner to follow him. 

They went into the kitchen. The aroma coming from the slow cookers had his stomach growling. His dad handed him one of the drinks--bourbon on the rocks. 

"Don't leave him again until after the baby is born," Wade said. "Fox hasn't slept in three days, worrying about you." 

The last time Skinner had heard that tone in his father's voice, he had been a teenager and had taken the family car without permission. 

"I'm sorry, dad, I thought he'd be fine for three days," Skinner said. 

"Tell me about these nightmares you've been having?" 

"I really don't want to talk about it." 

"You should talk to Fox about it," Wade said. "I've talked to your mom and I'm not having nightmares. Don't keep things pent up inside, Walter, it's not healthy." 

"I'll try, dad." 

"Don't try, do it." Wade patted him the back then walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a tray of deviled eggs. "Let's go join the family in the family room." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Fox 

"Fox, wake up." 

Mulder woke to Walter's voice and hand shaking him. 

"Whattimesit?" he muttered tiredly. 

"Midnight," Walter said. 

"I missed dinner?" 

"You seemed to need your sleep more." Walter smiled. "C'mon, let's get you under the covers." 

"How was the Osso Bucco?" Mulder asked as Walter helped him off the bed. 

"Delicious." Walter turned down the covers. "But you're going to have to take my word for it because there are no leftovers." 

"Oh well, I'll have to make them again," Mulder said, shifting from foot-to-foot. "I need to use the bathroom." The pressure on his bladder was becoming uncomfortable. 

"Would you like me to give you a hand?" 

"No, I'll be fine." Mulder headed into the bathroom and turned on the lights. He was at the point in his pregnancy where he had to sit to urinate. 

The swelling in his ankles had gone down, which was good since he still had every intention on going to the old growth forest next week. Walter would probably try to talk him out of it. 

Walter stood in the doorway as Mulder washed his hands at the sink. "Would you like me to fix you something to eat?" 

"No." Mulder dried his hands. "I'm not really hungry, let's go to bed." 

They walked back into the bedroom. 

"If you're sure..." 

"I'm sure, but if you want to make me breakfast in bed in the morning I won't complain." Mulder lay on his side and waited for Walter to spoon behind him. 

"I think you require pampering," Walter said huskily as he pulled Mulder against his chest and kissed the back of his neck, "breakfast in bed then a long hot bubble bath." 

Mulder smiled. It felt good having Walter back. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Panther 

Wednesday, May 25, 2005 

"I'll be back in seven days," Ellison said, feeling slightly guilty that he was leaving Blair at home to take care of their children. 

"Did you remember to pack the plastic bags to collect flora samples in?" Blair said. 

"Yes." Ellison quickly rechecked the backpack for the bags, sighing inwardly when he found them. "I better get going." 

They walked out of their bedroom with Blair carrying Sarah. Their daughter was five months old and very alert to what was going on around her. 

"Why can't I go with you?" Connor was asking his papa. 

"You're too young," Walter said, adjusting the straps on the large backpack. "But when you're older, I'll take you on a camping trip with just the two of us." 

Fox was filling a much smaller backpack with food for the seven day trip--dried soup mixes, salami, and cheese. 

Walter had failed to talk him out of going, but had confided in Jim that he was sure after a day of walking up hill Fox would realize that he was in no shape to make it the rest of the way to the old growth forest. 

Jack and Marita had backed out, deciding it was more important to spend their time working on their log home. A crew from Ace Construction Company had dug and framed the cellars on all three-log homes and was helping with the construction. Walter had struck a deal with Edward Wise, the owner of Ace Construction Company for twelve construction works, four men for each home, for one month's time. 

So it was only Ellison, Walter, Fox, Methos, and MacLeod going to the old growth forest. The Sentinel glanced over at Fox. "Do you need any help?" 

"No, I'm ready," Fox said, slipping on the backpack. On his feet, he was wearing moccasins and he was dressed in a pair of overalls with a t-shirt underneath. He looked comfortable despite his condition. 

Methos was pacing, anxious to get started. "Good, let's go." 

"In a second." Fox kissed the twins and Connor goodbye. "Be good and listen to grandma and grandpa." 

"Daddy, why does Crevan get to go and not me," Connor asked, trying another approach. "I'm older." 

"Crevan isn't able to get into trouble where he's at," Fox said. 

Wade placed a hand on Fox's shoulder. "Don't worry about the kids; Sonja and I will look after them. You take care of yourself and my grandson." 

Ellison scooped up Joey and hugged him. "Help mommy with Sarah." 

Finally after the goodbyes, they were off. The day was perfect, sunny and hot, but not too hot, Fox was using a walking stick that Walter had made for him. So far he wasn't slowing them down--he was keeping up quite easily. Of course Fox walked for exercise, it might take all day to wear him out. 

They walked for five hours before stopping to have a cold lunch by a stream. Fox had packed sandwiches and pickles. 

"How are your feet," MacLeod asked him. 

"Fine." Fox smiled. "It feels good to be away from the house ...I've been feeling a little cooped up lately." 

Walter draped an arm across Fox's shoulders. "We'll have to plan another trip when you aren't pregnant. I'm sure my folks and Vera would watch the kids again." 

"I'd like that." Fox made a face and touched his belly. "Jeez, your kid sure can kick." 

MacLeod looked down at his belly. "Aren't you nervous about giving birth to him?" 

"I barely remember the pain from the twins' births," Fox said, sipping water from a tin cup. "I suffered much worse pain at the hands of the aliens. At least the pain from childbirth is a good pain." 

Ellison was in panther form when he had given birth to Sarah and he thought it was less painful than what Blair had gone through with Joey. 

They finished eating and packed up their gear. Tonight when they made camp, Fox was going to make split pea and ham soup from one of the dried mixes. 

Methos had been quiet since they left Moonridge Lodge. Ellison could understand the man's moodiness, since this trip was to try to find his mother, Hannah. He couldn't imagine what it would be like finding out your mother's identity after five thousand years. 

Ellison was leading, keeping his senses attuned to any danger with Methos behind him followed by Fox, Walter, and MacLeod. They were intentionally keeping Fox safely between them. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Rat 

Krycek supervised the three men and one woman from Ace Construction Company while he worked along side them on his parents' log home. They were competent workers and took instructions well. His dad and Benton Fraser were helping with the construction. John and Krycek's mom were home looking after the triplets and Gwen. Walter's arrangement with Ed Wise would guarantee that the three homes would be done in a couple of months instead of late into the fall. 

It would be nice having his parents moved into their place in July, then he could help them put up food for the winter. 

Joe Dawson was putting the construction crew up at the large six bedroom dome home he had set aside for the blues musicians use during the winter. Since it was spring most of the artists were commuting from their homes in Holton. 

Frohike, Jin, and Sonja were seeing to it that the men working at the three sites were served a hearty lunch. In the evening and morning, Anton fed the construction crew. Needless to say, the men and women from Ace Construction Company decided they had a pretty cushy assignment--free food, free rooms, and working in the fresh mountain air. 

For the first time in his life, Krycek felt truly happy. He had everything that he could possibly want in life--family, good friends, a beautiful home, and a man he loved more than life. If only they could prevent the outside world from intruding. 

It was five in the afternoon; the sun was still high in the sky. "Let's call it a day," Krycek said. 

"I'd say we got a lot done today," the foreman, Kyle Johnson said. 

"I'm starving," another man said. "Let's go have dinner." 

"Anton said he was going to make pizzas tonight," Kate, the female construction worker said. 

"Enjoy your meals," Krycek said. "We'll see you back here in the morning." 

"Meals and movies," Kyle said. "Don't worry we'll be back and ready to work." 

After saying goodbye to Benton, Krycek and his dad climbed onto their UTV and started back to Moonridge Lodge. His parents were now staying up in the loft, since Jim and Blair had moved back into their bedroom. 

"Papa, is there anything you want for yours and mama's new home?" 

"Books," Nicholas said. "Your mama and I will need something to entertain us this winter." 

Krycek smiled. "I'll see to it that you have plenty of books. What about furniture? Any particular style you'd be interested in?" 

"We have no money...." 

"You don't need money," Krycek said. "We found an abandoned furniture store in the heart of the D.C. ruins that was mostly untouched, and we've been scavenging furniture from it for our needs and Holton's. You'll need beds for the bedrooms, but do you have a preference in the type of woods?" 

"Your mama loves mahogany," Nicholas said. "Can I go to this store with you?" 

"No, it's too dangerous," Krycek said. "The giant rats keep normal people away." 

"So you have exclusive rights to the ruins." 

"For now, the military is trying to poison the rats," Krycek said, "So far they're only having limited success, but at least they've been successful in containing them." What Krycek didn't mention was that when they went into the ruins they often would hunt the rats in wolf form. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Bear 

They made camp in a hollow beside a stream. Skinner had packed plastic sheeting in case they needed to erect a quick shelter against any storms; otherwise they planned to camp out in the open. Overhead, the nighttime sky was clear, not even a cloud blocked the billions of stars shining through the thick overhead canopy of branches. Fireflies were out, golden pinpoints of light in the blackness of the forest around them, crickets chirped and owls hooted--the forest was alive. 

Sighing contently, Skinner held Fox protectively as they snuggled together in the two-person sleeping bag. They both smelled of sweat and musk from the day's worth of hiking. Being pregnant, made Fox's scent slightly different and Skinner found it highly arousing, and Fox's hand resting on his groin wasn't helping matters. His lover had fallen asleep the moment they crawled into the sleeping bag--he had been that tired. 

Skinner was wide-awake...it felt great sleeping outdoors with Fox curled up in his arms. Fox's head on his shoulder and his belly was pressed against Skinner's side. He could feel their son moving--Fox was right the baby really could kick. 

After a full day of walking uphill, Skinner was certain Fox would have given up, but he should have known better--Fox wouldn't call it quits when he was on a quest. The excitement in his lover's eyes as he talked about nymphs reminded Skinner of their time together at the FBI. It was more the reason to keep a close eye on him. When he got this way in the past, nothing else seemed to matter to him. 

Closing his eyes, Skinner drifted off to sleep. He woke the next morning to an empty sleeping bag and the aroma of coffee brewing and oatmeal bubbling away in a kettle. 

Fox was quite adept at cooking over an open campfire; he had spent seven months traveling cross-country with Simon and Daryl Banks, cooking outdoors on his journey home. 

Methos was up sipping coffee from a tin cup and quietly talking to Fox. Jim and Mac were still sleeping. 

Skinner sat up and wiggled out of the sleeping bag. 

"Good morning, sweetheart," Fox said pleasantly. "Did you sleep well?" 

"Like a log ...I didn't even feel you get up." Skinner stood and stretched, he felt great this morning. "You look well rested," he said to Fox. Their voices woke the other two men. 

Fox smiled and handed him a cup of coffee, he was sitting on a log in front of the fire, and his walking stick was propped up against the log beside him. "There's something tranquil about camping outdoors. Even Crevan seems to be relaxing this morning." 

Skinner gazed down at his husband who was so beautiful in the early morning light that it took his breath away. Maybe this trip was the best thing for both of them. His bladder started complaining, so Skinner set the tin cup down and headed into the woods. "I'll be right back." 

When he returned, Fox was dishing up the oatmeal while talking. 

"We should make it to the chasm by tonight," he said. "Then in the morning, Walter and Jim can fly across with the ends of the ropes and secure them to trees or boulders on the other side then Mac, Methos, and I will propel over." 

"No," Skinner said as he was handed a bowl of oatmeal. "You're staying on this side, and as soon as I have the rope secured, I'm flying back to take care of you." 

"Walter, we've packed the harnesses, even if I lost my grip on the rope I'm not going to fall." 

"Yeah, right! You'll just dangle two hundred feet in the air," Skinner sneered sarcastically. He was not about to allow Fox to endanger his life or their unborn baby's. 

"Why don't you just change into a bird and fly across?" Methos asked. 

"My pregnancy is preventing me from shape-shifting into a bird," Fox said clearly agitated. "I can still shape-shift into a wolf, so I think it has to do with birds being egg layers." 

"Walt, I can get him safely across," MacLeod offered. 

"How?" 

"He'll connect his harness to mine and I'll support our weights as we propel across," he said. "I've done it before with no problem." 

Skinner wasn't about to trust Fox's life to anyone but him. "No, I'll do it." 

Fox looked up and smiled. "You're willing to take me across?" 

Skinner sat next to him and pulled him into a hug. "I'm still opposed to your crossing the chasm, but I'll feel better if we did it together." 

Fox rested his head on Skinner's shoulder. "I'm feeling a pull toward those woods." 

"We'll face that tomorrow morning," Skinner said. "Let's eat then break camp or we're not going to make it there by nightfall." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Otter 

Byers' decision to build a house closer to the others was mainly done for his wife's benefit. Laura would have eight and a half less miles to travel to the clinic and they were now only two and a half miles away from Frohike and Liz, and one mile from where the school was going to be built. What he and Laura hadn't told the others was that she was four months pregnant with their second child. They were planning to make the announcement during the picnic at Moonridge Lodge next weekend to celebrate the completion of the spring planting. 

While Byers had never been very handy with tools before the alien attack, he thought he'd become pretty proficient lately. They were going to build a small workshop behind the house for his pottery wheel and kiln. 

Their new home would have four bedrooms, instead of one like their old place. And it was going to be two stories instead of one, with a large master bedroom and bathroom downstairs. 

Yves Harlow had agreed to purchase their previous place. She was paying cash for the house and land with the new currency she'd received from working for the military. 

Byers had been hesitant to sell it to her, but they needed the money. He wanted to purchase a larger kiln from a craftsman down in the valley. Laura wanted to buy some llamas and a loom and two spinning wheels. Naomi, Marita, and the men at Wolf's Peak had instilled an interest in learning how to weave in her. Since they were building a larger home there would be plenty of room for a large loom in their new loft. 

"Hey, Byers, heads up!" Frohike shouted. 

"Sorry, Frohike, I was daydreaming," Byers said with an apologetic smile. 

He, Langly, Frohike, Jimmy, and Jeffrey was working on one section of the log wall, while the men from Ace Construction were working on the other. 

"About?" 

"About how nice it's going to be to live closer to you and Liz, and the other homes in this area, and when she's older, Caroline will be able to ride her bicycle to visit Sonja and Wade or over to play with the twins and Gwen at Moonridge Lodge. It would have been impossible before with us living twelve miles from them." Byers leaned against the wall. "I'm also looking forward to becoming a teacher at our new school. I think between the two of us, Blair and I should be able to handle most of the children's educational needs." 

Frohike smiled. "I expect my son to get straight As." 

"Only if he earns them, I'm not going to play favorites," Byers said. 

"What's the use of having a friend in high places if you can't expect some favors?" Frohike grumbled. 

For all of Frohike's complaining, Byers knew that his friend wouldn't expect anything less than his son earning his grades. 

"Let's get back to work," he said. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Raven 

The trip uphill on the second day was more strenuous than the first day. By the time they reached the chasm just as the sun was dipping below the horizon, they were all exhausted. Methos looked across the divide and wondered if he'd find his mother on the other side. The trees over there looked so much older and taller--there was something even menacing about them. 

"Let's set up camp while we still have a little sunlight left," Walter said. 

They gathered stones and deadwood to build a campfire, while Fox started putting together their evening meal. 

"I need some water," he said. 

Jim grabbed the soup kettle. "I'll get it ...the stream is about a quarter mile from here." 

"What are you planning to make?" Duncan asked. 

"Potato soup with biscuits," Fox said, taking several potatoes out of his backpack along with a dried soup mix and a block of cheddar cheese. 

"I'll peel the potatoes," Duncan offered while Walter and Methos lit the campfire. 

Walter glanced over at Fox and frowned. Standing, he walked over to his backpack and untied the two-person sleeping bag and spread it out on mossy the ground. Then he walked over to Fox and took the plastic mixing bowl from his hands and handed it to Duncan. "C'mon, Fox, you're going to lie down while we prepare dinner," Walter said. 

"I'm fine..." 

"Tell that to your ankles," he growled, "They resemble balloons. Now, let's get your legs elevated so the swelling will go down." 

Methos chuckled as he watched Walter ease Fox down onto the sleeping bag and elevate his feet. "Not in all of my five thousand years would I have ever believed I'd one day be on a laborious journey through the wilderness on a quest to find my mother in the company of a very pregnant man." His smile widened. "Life's gotten so interesting lately." He sat by the fire watching them until a potato hit him in the chest. 

"You can peel while I make the biscuits," Duncan said. 

Jim arrived back with the water. He paused and looked up at the sky through the tree branches. 

"Jim, what's wrong?" Walter asked just as Gorag and another gargoyle landed in their midst. 

"MUCH more interesting!" Methos said. 

Fox smiled. "Gorag, we didn't think you'd ever return." 

The gargoyle returned the smile. "I've return with my mate, K'yach." He turned and spoke to her in a foreign language. The men heard their names mentioned and Gorag pointed to each of them as he spoke. 

K'yach tilted her head in greeting and said something to Gorag. She was dressed in a dark green cloak with a hood that covered her dark brown hair, and like Gorag she wore nothing on her clawed feet. 

Gorag turned to them. "My mate wonders why Fox isn't at your lair, when female gargoyles are pregnant they stay in the nest until the baby is born." 

"Humans are active right up until the baby is born," Walter said, "The only time they stay in bed is if there's a problem with the pregnancy. We're taking a trip to the old growth forest on the other side of the chasm." He nodded toward the other side. "Fox is able to see nymphs, even if they are invisible to the rest of us. We need him to help us find Methos' mother." 

Gorag looked across the divide. "Nymphs aren't the only creatures that roam those woods. You need to be careful...whatever you do don't light a fire on that side or chop down any trees; if you do you won't live to see another day." 

"If it's dangerous, maybe we shouldn't go," Walter said. 

"No!" Fox said. "I have to go!" 

"I'm not going to allow you to put our baby's life in danger," Walter growled. 

"He should be fine," Gorag said, "Nothing over there would harm a mother to be. The rest of you will have to be careful--maybe you should travel in your werecreature forms." 

"I may have to in order to protect Fox," Walter said. 

"Good idea." Methos went back to peeling potatoes. "Not too many creatures would dare attack a nine foot tall grizzly bear," he said. 

"An ent might," Gorag said. 

"What's an ent?" Jim asked. 

"Ents are mythological tree creatures," Fox said, "They are said to be the shepherds of the forest and resemble in appearance the trees they protect. The word ent is Anglo-Saxon for giant." 

"So, Gorag, are you saying there are ents living across the divide?" Jim asked. 

"Yes," Gorag said, "But you'll probably not even see one unless you harm a tree." 

Fox chuckled. "Jim, you better not sharpen your claws on any of the trees on the other side. Blair would be crossed with us if we came back without you." 

"We will take our leave of you," Gorag said, "We search for caves suitable for gargoyles." 

"Good luck in your search," Fox said as the gargoyles took flight. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Fox 

Saturday, May 28, 2005 

Mulder couldn't sleep; the presence from across the divide was becoming more persistent now that they were so near. The indistinct murmurs had become clearer. He could almost understand the words spoken to him in some long lost language. He didn't know how to tell Walter that something on the other side was reaching out to him mentally. He felt no hostility from this entity, only desperation, as if it had been waiting for someone it could communicate with for a millennium and was afraid it would lose its only chance to be set free. 

The journey had started as a mission to reunite Methos with his mother but it was becoming so much more. A true X-File awaited them in the ancient forest. 

Since they'd be unable to have a hot meal during the next two days, Mulder pulled out the skillet and retrieved the dozen eggs he had packed protectively in his knapsack. Besides, he didn't want to chance breaking them when they crossed the over the chasm. He also packed a couple of salt-cured ham steaks. At least they would have a hearty breakfast, since it might be a while before they could eat again. Mulder used the walking stick to help him stand, without it he would have needed help getting to his feet. 

The aroma of the ham steaks frying soon aroused the men from their sleep. 

"You brought along ham and eggs!" Methos said. "Fox, I could kiss you." 

"At your risk," Walter said, sitting down next to Mulder on the log. 

"I figured we should start the day with a large breakfast," Mulder said. "Since we won't be able to cook on the other side we can leave the kettle and skillets on this side." 

After everyone was served, Mulder filled his plate leaving a lot of eggs in the skillet in case anyone wanted seconds. 

Walter was having none of that and scooped the rest of the eggs from the skillet onto Mulder's plate. "You're eating for two, so clean your plate." 

If Mulder wasn't so hungry he would have protested, instead he dug in. 

They finished eating and washed the skillets and tin plates. Then they got out the heavy nylon ropes that Methos and Mac were carrying. 

One rope would have been adequate to get them across, but Walter wasn't about to take any chances so he had insisted on two ropes. They secured the ropes to two trees then Walter and Jim shape-shifted into birds and flew with the other ends across the chasm to the other side where they secured them to boulders-- because of Gorag's warning they didn't want to chance hurting a tree. 

Walter flew back and helped Mulder on with the harness before putting his on. Meanwhile Mac attached the trac pulley to the rope then he secured his harness to it. Once he was satisfied, he leapt off the cliff and propel across the chasm, Methos followed him. 

"Are you ready?" Walter asked as he doubled checked Mulder's harness. 

"This is very awkward," Mulder muttered. Because of his huge belly he could barely get his arms and legs around Walter as they stood chest-to-chest. Walter needed his hands free to hold onto the rope when he propelled them across the chasm. "It would be a lot easier if we went separately." 

Walter ignored him. "Hold on, here we go!" 

The ground dropped out from beneath their feet as Walter leapt off the cliff and they sailed smoothly along the rope across the divide. 

Mulder held on tighter then laughed with exhilaration. The excitement and danger, and nearness to Walter made him horny. "If I wasn't pregnant I'd want you to fuck me." 

"I'll fuck you tonight after the others have fallen to sleep," Walter growled. 

Mulder's arousal spiked. "I'll hold you to it." 

When they reached the other side, Mac and Jim grabbed them and help them up onto the cliff. After they were unhooked from the rope, Walter wrapped his arms around Mulder and kissed him passionately. All thoughts vanished as Mulder's whole focus was centered on Walter's lips and taste; he just wanted to stay in the warmth of his lover's embrace. 

"So which direction?" Methos asked. 

Mulder sighed at the interruption and looked around. The forest was completely different in appearance and atmosphere. The inner voice he'd been hearing was exuberant that he was so near. "This way," Mulder said, pointing to the southwest. "Walter, you and Jim should change now; we might need your protection." Mulder really wasn't worried about needing their protection as much as he wanted to make sure they were safe from harm by being in their werecreature forms. 

"Okay, but I'm changing back tonight when we make camp," Walter said, and then shape-shifted into a grizzly bear. The large backpack he was wearing vanished as he changed form, melting into the thick fur coat. 

Jim handed Mulder several plastic Baggies. "Blair wants samples of the foliage," he said before shape-shifting into a panther. 

"It feels like we're in a different world," Mac said as they started walking through the forest. 

The huge trees and their heavy overhead canopy of branches prevented the rays of the sun from reaching the ground, so there wasn't a lot of vegetation growing beneath them with the exception of moss, ferns, and mushrooms. Huge mushrooms with tops at least three feet in diameter. 

"We must be the first people to set foot in this forest," Mulder said, leaning heavily on the walking stick. He caught movement out of the corner of his eyes. A wood nymph leaped from branch to branch over their heads, tracking their movements. "Do you see her?" he asked. 

The two immortals looked up. 

"I see the branches moving," MacLeod said. 

The bear looked up and growled, and the panther followed her movements with his eyes. 

"It seems that Walter and Jim can see her," Mulder said. 

"What does she look like?" 

"She's slim with long red hair and smooth alabaster skin," Mulder said, "And she's buck naked." 

"Damn." Methos squinted as he peered up at the branches. 

They continued walking for another hour. The panther stopped, his ears went back and he growled a warning. Suddenly wood nymphs armed with bows and arrows melted out of the forest surrounding them. 

One thing that astounded Mulder was their hair and matching wing color. The colors looked like they came from a bouquet of summer flowers--reds, oranges, violets, yellows, and pinks. Other than the red-haired nymph that had tracked them through the overhead branches, these nymphs were clothed in semi-sheer silky fabric that seemed to reflect the color of their wings. 

"We come in peace," he said. 

"Peace is not a word man knows," said the tallest of the petite nymphs with violet hair and wings. 

"You know how to speak English?" Mulder was somewhat surprised. 

"I have traveled on the other side of the void...into your lands," she said. 

The bear planted himself menacingly between her and Mulder. 

"I would have known if you had come on my land," Mulder said. 

"This was many revolutions of the Sun ago, child, long before you would have been born," she said. "Why have you come into our woods?" 

"We've come looking for Hannah the mountain nymph," Methos said. 

"Hannah's business is her own...we have very little contact with her." 

"Queen Delilah, can't I just kill them and be done with it?" the fiery redhead said. 

She said it so casually, that it reminded Mulder of some of the psychopaths he had profiled as an FBI agent. He wondered how many men had wandered into these woods and never made it backs out? Maybe nymphs were more dangerous than he had previously thought. 

"I want to have sex with this one first," the pink-haired nymph said, moving over to stand in front of MacLeod. She ran a possessive hand over his chest. The immortal stepped back and glared at her. 

A white-haired nymph moved to stand beside her queen. "This one is with child," she said, "We cannot do him harm." 

"He's a male," Delilah said, "How can that be possible, Serena?" 

"He's only half-male," she said. "His mate would destroy us if you cause him, or any of these men, harm." 

The Queen's eyes widened, as she looked at the large bear, she gasped, "They're werecreatures!" 

"These three are," Serena said, "Those two are players in the game." 

"Immortals." Queen Delilah looked at them with a new interest. "Since you are not from the world of mortal men, you are welcome in our woods as my guests." She placed her hand on Mulder's forearm. "Come, dine with us." 

Mulder walked beside her while Walter stayed close at his other side--his large furry body brushing against Mulder's legs and belly. After weaving their way through the forest, Mulder spotted the source of the strange voice in his head. 

"What's that over there?" he asked, pointing to an enormous black monolith shrouded in fog and in a hollow beneath some ancient red wood trees. It would be impossible to spot the structure from the air even in winter. 

"That is where the residents of Middle Earth have chosen as their resting place," Delilah said. 

"They're dead?" 

"No, child, they've been asleep for thousands of years," she said, "When the time is right they will awaken from their long slumber." 

"What sort of being could possibly sleep for that length of time?" MacLeod asked. 

"Me after a bender," Methos quipped. 

"Elves," Serena said. She was walking beside MacLeod, keeping the pink-haired nymph away from him. 

"When will the time be right?" Mulder asked. He only felt one consciousness that was awake, but trapped inside that structure. 

"When the age of men has ended," Serena said. "The age of enlightenment will begin." 

"Something is awake in there," Mulder said. 

"Hannah's prisoner," Delilah said, "He's been under her spell for nineteen hundred years." 

The queen was smart. She had knowledge of their measurement of time. "Why does she hold him?" Mulder asked. 

"For not returning her love," the nymph queen replied. 

"You talk too much, Delilah." Hannah landed in their midst, she wasn't naked like the last time Mulder had seen her and like the forest nymphs her black hair matched her wings. She almost reminded him of a raven. 

"Fox, you didn't keep my secret," she accused. 

"I never gave you my word that I would keep it," he said. 

"So you didn't." Hannah turned to Methos. "Son, how are the twins?" 

"Fine, mother," Methos said. "Then you would know that ...you've been keeping watch over them." 

She smiled. "I kept watch over you until your mortal life had ended." 

"Who are you holding prisoner in the monolith?" Methos asked. 

"That does not concern you." 

As she was saying that the voice in Mulder's head started to communicate with him in English. 'I knew I'd figure out your language! It really isn't very complicated now is it?' 

Mulder glanced at Hannah and the voice said, 'Worry not she cannot over hear our conversation.' 

'What do you want?' Mulder communicated back. 

'My freedom,' the voice said. 

'Why is she keeping you prisoner?' 

'It's a long story,' the being replied. 

'I have time,' Mulder said as he watched Methos and his mother move away from the group to have a private conversation. 

'When I was a young, inexperienced, apprentice I was seduced by an ancient mountain nymph,' the voice said. 'I was barely old enough to grow whiskers, and had just passed into puberty.' 

Mulder found the voice to be soothing and friendly. 

'I gave up my virginity to her, and she's held a magical bound over me ever since.' A heavy sigh, before he continued, 'Once I became a full-fledged wizard, I avoided her mountain range, then after a great battle I accompanied the elves away from Middle Earth to this unspoiled continent. Two thousand years later Hannah showed up here and demanded I return her love, when I refused she imprisoned me in here.' 

A sudden realization dawned on Mulder, and he asked, 'Her babies?' 

'She takes what I will not give willingly.' 

'How can I help you?' 

'Listen carefully and I will instruct you,' he said. 

'Do you have a name?' 

"Gandalf the White,' he said. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Raven 

His mother was old, much older than Methos had figured she was. She was beautiful and at the same time distant and cold--not what he would call motherly. It was just as well; while he might make an occasional journey to see her, he could never imagine Hannah being an integral part of his, Duncan, and the twins' lives. 

Walter and Jim had shape-shifted back to their human forms and were dining along with the others on a feast of berries, root vegetables, and grubs--well they passed on the bugs. 

Fox seemed distracted; he finally turned to Hannah and said, "If you really loved him, you'd set him free." 

"If I set him free he'd leave me," she said, "Just like he did before." 

"He isn't yours to keep," Fox said, trying to reason with her. "If Gandalf promised to stay on the mountain, would you release him?" 

"You are persistent, young Fox." Hannah's eyes narrowed in annoyance. 

"I know you don't take pleasure from the pain you're causing him." 

"He's in no pain!" she replied, clearly irritated. 

Methos thought it was probably the first time someone had ever confronted her. The forest nymphs were clearly afraid of her. 

"Not a physical pain," Fox argued, "But pain none-the-less." 

"You have no right to talk to me this way!" Hannah stood angrily, the forest darkened and the trees groaned. 

Walter and Jim shaped-shifted back and put themselves between her and Fox. 

"Mother dearest, you wouldn't harm a pregnant man, now would you?" Methos asked, wanting to make sure she knew Fox was with child. 

"It is forbidden," she said. "I will take my leave of you for now." The mountain nymph vanished, but Methos noticed that Fox's eyes seemed to follow her invisible form. 

"What was that all about?" Duncan asked Fox. 

"I was hoping I could convince her to release him." 

"You said a name ...Gandalf" Duncan pointed out. "Who is he?" 

"A wizard," Fox said, "And quite possibly Methos' father." 

"WHAT?!" Methos sprang to his feet. This was a little too much for him. 

Walter had returned to his human form, so Methos turned his irritation in his direction, "Was he this blasted irritating when he worked for you as an FBI agent?" 

Walter chuckled, obviously amused. Then he wrapped his arms around Fox from behind and kissed the back of his head. "This is nothing compared to the agitation he used to put me through at work." 

"Gee, thanks a lot," Fox grumbled. 

"So what are we going to do about this Gandalf?" Jim asked. 

"Free him," Fox said. 

"NO!" Walter shook his head. "No way! We're not going to make a mountain nymph with the sort of power that Hannah possesses angry with us!" 

"Who cares if it pisses her off?" Methos retorted. "I'm the injured party here! My mother is holding my supposed father prisoner and forcing him to fornicate with her. And now that I think about it, Fox, how the hell did you find out his name?" 

They all turned to look at Fox. "He's been speaking to me telepathically." 

"You could have mentioned this earlier," Walter said gruffly. 

"He wasn't speaking English until we arrived at the monolith, so I had no idea what he was saying," Fox replied. 

The nymphs were all listening and watching them. Finally Serena spoke up. "I hope you can free him; Gandalf is truly good through to his core." 

"I can free him," Fox said, "and Hannah won't be able to reclaim him." 

"What do you have in mind?" Methos asked. 

"We need to get Gandalf's staff to him, and he'll be able to extract himself from this situation without further assistance from us." Fox turned and looked at Walter. "I won't do anything further without your agreement." 

Walter looked into his eyes and said, "Where is the wizard's staff?" 

Fox smiled, and started to fill them in on what he knew. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Whale 

Sonja had just put the twins and Gwen to bed in one of the full-sized beds upstairs in the bedroom Vera was using. Her eldest granddaughter wasn't home right now; Vera was on a walk around the lake with Jimmy Bond. Sonja thought the two of them made a cute couple, even though Jimmy didn't realize it yet. The young man was still all goggle-eyes for Yves Harlow. The Gunmen and Wade were betting on Vera to win Jimmy's love. 

Pouring a glass of sherry, Sonja carried it out to the porch. Wade was puffing on a cigar while sipping a cognac. It was routine for them to relax out on the porch after dinner. Maria and West were down the hill fishing off the dock. Fishing was the one outdoor activity that her daughter-in-law actually enjoyed. 

"Are they asleep?" Wade asked. 

"Almost as soon as their little heads hit the pillows," Sonja said, sitting next to Wade on the porch swing. 

"How was your day?" Wade asked, snuffing out the cigar then putting his arm around her. He had spent the day over at the site of Lilia and Nicholas Krycek's log home, working on the downstairs plumbing for the kitchen, laundry, and bathrooms. His time was spent between the three construction sites, leaving him little time at home during the day. 

"Busy, I spent it drying asparagus and mushrooms, sorting through recipes for dried soup mixes, and weeding the vegetable garden," she said. Now that they were well-settled into their new home, she had focused her efforts on preparing nutritious meals for canning and dehydrating. "Vera was a great help watching the kids today. It freed Blair up to help Lilia and me with the weeding." 

"How is Lilia adjusting?" Wade asked. 

"I think she's finally over the shock of being reunited with Alex," Sonja said, "She's very knowledgeable about plants, Lilia and Blair spent the whole time we were weeding talking about his olive trees and how to make them heartier against colder temperatures. Afterward, I spent the afternoon teaching her how to use the food dehydrator." 

"I'm sure she and Nicholas will be more than prepared for winter with all of us helping them." Wade took a sip of his drink and sighed contentedly. "There's nothing like a hard day's work to make a man appreciate the small comforts of life." 

Sonja smiled at him. "Anton is going to come out tomorrow ...we're preparing a barbecue for the crews working on the log homes," she said. The work crews were supposed to have Sunday off but they had decided to work instead, since they were making such good progress. As a way of thanking them, Sonja and Anton had decided to make them a Sunday barbecue with baby back ribs, steaks, cornbread, and baked beans. It was still too early in the season for corn on the cob or cabbage to make coleslaw. 

"He's a good man," Wade said. 

"Yes, he is, Joe and Naomi were lucky to find him to help them run the restaurant," Sonja agreed. "Walter, Fox, and the others should have made it to the old growth forest by now. Do you think Methos found his mother?" 

"If she wanted to be found," Wade said, "Then I think they would have found her." 

"I hope they hurry home," Sonja said, "Fox should be taking it easy at this stage in his pregnancy." 

"That boy is stubborn," Wade said then chuckled. "I think he's worse than Walter, if that's possible." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Panther 

Sunday, May 29, 2005 

Although Ellison could not sense her, he was sure Hannah was keeping an eye on them as they stood outside the monolith. 

Retrieving the wizard's staff had involved a slight of hand by Fox. He had told them that Gandalf had shown him what to do. The walking stick that Fox had been using to get around, was now Gandalf staff disguised to look like the walking stick, while Fox's walking stick had taken the place of the wizard's staff. 

According to Serena, Hannah would not be concerned if they entered the monolith, even if they got within touching range of Gandalf. As far as the mountain nymph was concerned they had no way to free the wizard from her spell. So their mere presence inside the monolith would not be viewed as a threat to her. 

Methos would keep his mother distracted as they went inside and returned the staff to the wizard. Ellison wasn't sure how this was going to play out once they freed Gandalf, so he would stay in panther form to help Walter protect Fox. 

Fox stood in front of the smooth black monolith with MacLeod on his right and Walter in Bear form on his left. The panther stood on all fours behind him protecting his flank. 

"How do we get inside?" MacLeod asked. 

"We ask to be allowed to enter," Fox said then he spoke some words in a strange dialect. A glowing doorway appeared and the black stone slid open. He started to enter but Walter wrapped a large paw around his thighs and growled. 

"Okay, sweetheart, after you," Fox said, allowing Walter to take the lead. 

Ellison entered last and looked around. The inside appeared to be a hundred times larger than the outside. It took him a while to realize that most of the monolith was buried beneath the ground. The center of the structure was hollow and a wide stone ramp wound around the inside going up and down. Along the smooth black walls were carved horizontal crevices, and inside each crevice was the sleeping form of an elf. Ellison knew they were sleeping and not dead, he could hear their faint heartbeats and feel the warmth of their bodies. 

"There's no dust or debris," Fox commented as they wound their way down toward the bottom of the monolith. "Not even a spider web." 

At the top of the monolith was a crystal that reflected the outdoor light back inside all the way to the bottom where another larger crystal absorbed the light and glowed with a bluish radiance, illuminating the entire interior of the monolith. 

"This way," Fox said when they finally reached the bottom an hour later. 

Ellison noted several antechambers off the circular room. Each of them seemed to contain more sleeping elves. These appeared to be of higher status than the other elves. In all, the monolith must house around five thousand elves. What a stir these beings would make upon the outside world. 

Laid out on a black stone platform, inside a large chamber was an elegant old man with long white hair and beard. He was dressed in a white brocade doublet with what seemed to be a long white skirt, underneath a long flowing white robe with matching white boots, and a leather belt with a sword. He appeared to be sleeping, but Ellison heard his heart rate increase as they entered the chamber. 

Fox didn't hesitate. He walked straight over to Gandalf and laid the walking stick across the wizard's chest. Gandalf's hands moved quickly and he grabbed the walking stick. It changed into a white staff with a meticulously carved spiral headpiece. He sat upright and swung his long legs off the platform just as an enraged Hannah appeared in the chamber. 

"HOW DARE YOU!" She directed her anger at Fox. "You've taken something that I love, so I will take something that you love!" she screeched. 

"You will do nothing of the sort," Gandalf said. "This young man and those he loves are now under my personal protection. You tricked me two thousand years ago, Hannah, I will never fall for your deceptions again." 

"You will always be mine," Hannah said then vanished. 

A smile spread across the old wizard's face. "Free at last! Do you know how boring it is to be trapped in this chamber for nearly two thousand years? What I wouldn't give for a tankard of ale!" 

"He's Methos' father all right," MacLeod sighed. 

Suddenly Fox cried out and collapsed onto the ground. Walter shape-shifted back and pulled him into his arms while Gandalf knelt beside them and placed a hand on Fox's brow. 

"Did she do this to him?" Walter asked angrily. 

"No." Gandalf shook his head. "It appears he's in labor." 

"It's too soon!" Walter said. "He's only in his thirty-third week." 

Gandalf brow creased in concern. "I may be able to stop his labor or at least delay it for a week or so." 

"Do whatever you can," Walter said, kissing Fox on the brow as his lover moaned in pain. 

"Put him on the platform," Gandalf advised. 

Walter lifted Fox as Jim changed back to his human form to help. "What can I do?" he asked. 

"Find something to elevate his feet," the wizard said, placing one hand on Fox's forehead and the head of the staff on his belly. He mumbled an incantation and Fox stopped thrashing around on the table and fell asleep. 

Ellison found a heavy box and carried it back to the platform and placed it under Fox's feet. "What do we do now?" 

Gandalf pulled out a long neck pipe from his sleeve. "We wait." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Wolf 

Monday, May 30, 2005 

The heat from the barbecue grill felt good against Sandburg's face as he turned the hotdogs. A screech from a bird overhead, had him glancing up at the sky just as a falcon descended and landed in the farmyard where it shape-shifted back to its human form. Sandburg hadn't expected Jim back for another two days. 

"Jim, what's wrong?" 

Before he could answer, Alex hurried out of the house. "Where are Fox and Walter?" 

"Fox went into premature labor," Jim said. "Luckily, Gandalf was able to stop his contractions, but we can't move him." 

"Who's Gandalf?" Sandburg asked. 

"It's a long story, and I don't have time to go into detail right now," Jim said. "I just stopped off on my way to get Liz." He bent down and kissed Sandburg. "I've missed you. I'll be home later this evening, keep the bed warm for me." 

"What about Fox and Walter?" 

"They'll be home as soon as Fox has the baby," Jim said, "Hopefully it won't be for a couple of weeks." He changed back into a falcon and flew off in the direction of Frohike's place. 

Sandburg exchanged worried glances with Alex. "I'm sure he'll be all right." 

"Yeah, Fox is tough," Alex said. "Almost as tough as those hotdogs are going to be if you don't get them off the grill." 

"Oh, man." Sandburg ran over to the grill and grabbed a pair of tongs and started putting the hotdogs on a platter. They were a little charred, but he liked them that way. He carried the platter into the house through the back door. 

"Who wants hotdogs?" he asked. 

"I do!" was the general shout from the children. Vera and Jimmy were watching them while Lilia and Nicholas set the table. John was tending to Marty the other two triplets were asleep. 

Sandburg set the platter on the counter next to the pan of hotdog buns. Sarah was sitting up in the playpen, teething on a rubber ring. "For your dinner, pumpkin, daddy has made pureed carrots and vanilla pudding." He picked her up and set her in the highchair and snapped on her bib, all the while his mind kept going back to what Jim had said. Who was this Gandalf, and how was he able to stop Fox's labor? Had they run into a doctor in the old growth forest? 

He'd find out later tonight when Jim returned. Vera would be taking the twins and Gwen over to Wade and Sonja's place to spend the night again after dinner. He probably should radio them about Fox...Sandburg just wished he had more information to tell them. 

"Alex, would you mind feeding Sarah? I want to radio Wade and Sonja." 

"I don't mind." Alex took the small bowl of pureed carrots from him. 

The radio alcove had been expanded to include space for the wireless desktop computer. Langly and Jeffrey had been successful in connecting all the homes on the mountain to a wireless network. 

Sitting behind the radio, Sandburg dialed into the Skinners' number. 

"Wade speaking...go ahead," the elder Skinner answered. 

They didn't waste time speaking in radio jargon. "Wade, it's Blair." 

"What's wrong?" Because they seldom radioed between their place and the Skinners, Wade would assume something was up. 

"Jim flew back to get Liz," Sandburg said. "Fox went into premature labor." 

"Damn...is he all right?" 

"I don't have a lot of details. Supposedly a Doctor Gandalf was able to stop his labor, but they can't move him." 

"Where is he?" 

"I'm not really sure," Sandburg said, "But I should find out more tonight when Jim returns." 

"I'll be right over," Wade said then disconnected. 

"Oh great," Sandburg sighed. He hadn't meant for Wade to come over to wait for Jim to return. Walking back into the dining room, Sandburg took over feeding his daughter. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Spider 

A snowy white owl and falcon flew over the chasm and above the ancient trees; off in the distance in a rocky clearing, Liz could see dozens of waterfalls, sparkling in the waning sunlight. The shear beauty of this land was breath-taking; it stretched for as far as the eyes could see--unspoiled by human hand. Liz followed Jim as he flew down through the branches of trees to where a black monolith towered out of the ground. They landed outside its entrance and shape-shifted back to their human forms. 

Several forest nymphs were gathered around the outside, seeming to be interested in what was happening inside. If they weren't in a hurry, Liz would have liked to have chatted with them and maybe even examined them more closely. It wasn't every day that she encountered winged mythical creatures. 

Entering the monolith, they walked down the ramp that spiraled, on a gentle slope, down to the bottom of the structure. 

"Couldn't they have installed an elevator?" Liz said as they wove their way around miles of ramp. 

"At least the place is handicapped accessible," Jim quipped. 

Liz chuckled. "Thousand's of years ahead of their time." She paused to rest and looked into a crevice at a sleeping elf. "These beings are surreally beautiful." 

"I've noticed that," Jim said, "Elves seemed to have bred out any ugly characteristics or deformities from their race." 

"What a pity," Liz said. "The human race would be so boring if it was only made up of only perfect people." 

They continued on their way down until they finally reached the bottom. A bearded man with long white hair was talking to Methos and Duncan. The man's clothing was odd, all white, and seemed to be from an ancient time. He clutched a white staff in his hand. 

"Liz, this is Gandalf the White," Jim said, introducing them. 

"So you are the medicine woman," Gandalf said. "Fox is resting comfortably, but his baby wants to be born." 

Liz frowned. "If we can prevent him from delivering for at least four more days, he'll be in his thirty-fourth week and there will be less of a chance of anything being physically wrong with the baby." 

Gandalf led her into the chamber where Walter sat beside Fox's slumbering body, holding his hand. Fox was dressed in overalls and covered with a blanket. 

Slipping the backpack off, Liz set it on the floor and kneeled to remove her stethoscope and blood pressure gauge. "Walter, I'm going to need you to undress him," she said. 

"Okay, Liz." Walter stood and unsnapped the overalls, stripping Fox down to his t-shirt and boxers before covering him with the blanket. Walter finished removing the remainder of his clothes beneath the blanket. 

Liz thought it was sweet how Walter tried to protect Fox's dignity. "How did you sedate him?" she asked Gandalf. 

"I just suggested he'd be more comfortable if he were asleep." 

"Can you wake him? I'd like to ask him some questions while I examine him." 

Gandalf placed a hand on Fox's forehead and whispered, "Awaken." 

Fox's eyes fluttered open and he looked around until his eyes fell on Walter who was holding his hand. "How long have I been asleep?" 

"Only a day," Walter said, leaning down and kissing him softly on the lips. "How are you feeling?" 

"Strange." 

"How so?" 

"I hear singing inside my head." 

"That would be the elves," Gandalf said. "You're attuned to their world." 

Liz placed the stethoscope on Fox's belly under the blanket. The baby had a strong heartbeat, which was a good sign. 

"That's cold," Fox complained shivering. 

"This place isn't exactly warm," she said. 

"Maybe I should get some more blankets," Walter said. 

"Or you could give me back my clothes," Fox grumbled. 

"I asked Walter to undress you." Liz wrapped the blood pressure gauge around his arm. "I'm going to give you a complete examination." 

"Oh great...." Fox sighed. 

"I'll be gentle," she said, smiling. 

Jim walked into the chamber. "I'm going to fly home now," he said. "Do you want me to bring you back anything tomorrow?" 

"A hot shower would be nice," Fox quipped. 

Jim chuckled. "If you can joke, you'll be all right." 

"Tell my folks not to worry," Walter said, "Fox and their grandson will be fine." 

"Your dad is probably already panicking," Jim said. "Don't be surprised if he returns with me tomorrow." 

"Try to talk him out of coming," Walter said. 

Liz could understand Walter's desire to take care of Fox by himself without his father's intrusion--this was a special time in their marriage. 

"I'll try," Jim said before hurrying out of the chamber. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Falcon 

Methos and his father were close to the same age; Gandalf had been fifteen when Hannah had first seduced him. The product of that seduction was Methos. A son, Gandalf had never known existed until few days ago. MacLeod had to admit he was a bit envious. No immortal had ever found their biological parents before. 

"Who is the king of Holton?" Gandalf asked as they sat outside the monolith enjoying the fresh air. 

They had been telling him about the communities on the other side of the chasm. 

"Holton doesn't have a king, it has a duly elected mayor," Methos said. 

"What about an army?" 

"It has a newly-formed militia," MacLeod said. "They have been training with the Blue Ridge Mountain militia." 

"Gandalf, you're welcome to stay at Seacouver's," Methos offered, "until you get familiar with the area and people." 

"I've stayed in rooms above taverns before," Gandalf said unenthusiastically. "But beggars can't be choosers." 

"Our establishment doesn't allow farm animals into the pub room," Methos said. "And most of our patrons bathe regularly. The inn's rooms have indoor plumbing with bathtubs in each room--and no bedbugs." 

"You don't say." Gandalf smiled. "What a remarkable world." 

"You didn't seem too surprised about Fox being pregnant," MacLeod said. "His condition shocks most men." 

"I've seen stranger things in my life," Gandalf said. "There was a time when orcs walked the earth and made war on man. After the dark lord Sauron was defeated they vanished from middle earth. Then the rest of the elves left, and soon only man was left to rule the earth." 

Methos frowned. "I remember tales of orcs and trolls ...but I spent most of my first thousand years living in the south. Maybe if those creatures had still been around, it would have been them I made war upon instead of humans." 

MacLeod looked at him. "You never really talked about your first thousand years ...before you became one of the four horsemen." 

Methos shrugged. "I don't remember much of my early years." 

The Highlander thought it was more that he didn't want to remember. 

Gandalf looked at Methos. "Odd that you don't ...you would have been around four hundred years old when Sauron was vanquished and Aragorn reclaimed the throne of Gondor." 

"I heard of Gondor and Minas Tirith city of kings, it was destroyed by a massive earthquake and volcanic eruption along with most of middle earth hundreds of years before I even ventured into that part of the world," Methos said. 

"Pity, it was a beautiful city," Gandalf said sadly. 

"It sounds like you have lots of memories of those days," MacLeod said. 

Gandalf took a puff on his pipe. "Those were earth-shattering times." 

"We're going through even greater times now," Methos said. 

"Yes indeed, it would appear so," the wizard said, looking toward the monolith. "Your young pregnant friend seems to have forces at work around him that are pulling people to him." 

"What do you mean?" MacLeod asked. 

"There is no such thing as luck," Gandalf said, "Everything happens in the universe for a purpose. It was intended that Fox settle on these mountains, and it was his presence here that has drawn others." 

"For what purpose?" 

"That, Duncan MacLeod, will be made known in time," Gandalf said mysteriously. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Fox 

Friday, June 3, 2005 

Lying on his back, Mulder gazed up at the ceiling. He could see his reflection in the shiny black stone. After a week there, Mulder was familiar with every inch of that ceiling. At least he wouldn't have to look at it too much longer. The baby wanted to be born and there was no amount of magic that would delay him further. The contractions had started off mildly, but they had become progressively worse as morning turned into afternoon. 

Mulder bore the pain stoically, not wanting to upset Walter too soon. Finally when the contractions became unbearable, he looked over at Walter who hadn't left his side since he had gone into premature labor and said, "Get Liz, Walter. Our son has decided that your birthday and our wedding anniversary is the perfect day for him to be born." 

Walter leapt to his feet. "How far apart are the contractions?" 

"Less than a couple of minutes," Mulder said sheepishly. 

"Why didn't you say something sooner?" Walter said gruffly as he headed for the arched doorway. 

"I know how much you hate waiting." Mulder smirked then gasped as a contraction took his breath away him. 

Walter signaled that it was time to their doctor who was in the main chamber. 

"Fox, it's you who hates waiting, not me," Walter said, walking over to his side. He picked up a wet wash cloth and wiped the sweat from Mulder's brow. 

"I knew it was one of us," Mulder said. He bit down on his lip to keep from crying out in pain. It was far worse than what he had experienced when giving birth to the twins. 

Liz walked into the chamber snapping on a pair of latex gloves. "Mac and Methos are getting some fresh water for us." 

She lifted the blanket. "I'm going to check your dilation, how far apart are the contractions?" 

Mulder made a face as her fingers invaded his body. He squeezed Walter's hand as the pain from another contraction tore through his belly. His lower back was killing him. What he wouldn't give for a hot bath to soothe his aches and pains. 

"Fox said less than two minutes," Walter said. 

"He's dilated to at least a nine," she said just as Mulder's water broke dampening the blanket and sleeping bag covering the stone platform. 

Stepping into the chamber, Gandalf stood quietly by in the arched doorway to watch. 

Mulder met his eyes and they shared an unspoken unity. 

The wizard telepathically communicated with him. 'The birth of your child here will be a momentous event. Be prepared for visitors.' 

The singing Mulder had heard inside his head had become joyous as the birth of his baby neared. Thousands of years had passed since a baby had been born in these woods. As he went into his final stage of labor, three figures joined Gandalf in the doorway. Elves. A female and two males. 

The female's eyes were wise and looked as if they could see through to his soul. Like Gandalf, she spoke to him telepathically. 'Welcome, Fox Mulder, to Eagle Shire the new realm of elves on Earth. I am Queen Galadriel.' 

Walter glanced over at them, but his main focus remained on Mulder and their soon to be born son. 

"Concentrate, Fox," he said, smoothing a hand over his brow. 

When the baby moved into the birth canal, Mulder cried out in pain--no longer able to maintain a stoic front. Crevan may be eight weeks premature but he felt larger than either of the twins had been. 

Queen Galadriel smiled at him. "Worry not, your baby has developed to full term during the week you have lain here," she informed him no longer speaking telepathically. 

"I can see the baby's head," Liz said. "Fox, I want you to push hard with your next contraction." 

His scream echoed through the monolith as he bore down, pushing the baby from his body. He looked up tiredly at Walter's face--his husband was looking down at Liz and the baby. "Is he normal?" Fox asked. 

"He's perfect and big," Walter said in awe as the baby started crying. 

"At least ten pounds ...maybe more," Liz said, looking at the female elf. "You were right, Crevan is at full term. I'm not sure how that is possible." 

"Elfin magic," Gandalf said. 

Mac and Methos returned with the water, soap, a washcloth, and a towel. The wizard used his staff to heat the water. 

"Nice trick," Methos said, watching as Liz used the water to bathe the newborn. 

Outside the chamber, elves were awakening. 

"My friends," Gandalf said, "May I introduce you to Queen Galadriel, her husband King Celeborn, and Lord Elrond." 

Queen Galadriel handed Liz a silver swaddling cloth for the baby. "This is elfin cloth; it will keep the baby warm and dry." 

"Thank you," Liz said, wrapping the baby in the cloth then handing him to Walter. "Meet your son." 

Walter looked down at the baby with complete love and devotion. He kissed the tip of his son's nose and placed a finger in his tiny fist, feeling the strength of his son's grip. 

"He's beautiful," Walter said, placing the baby in Mulder's arms. "You've done really well, sweetheart." 

Mulder smiled tiredly as he looked at Crevan. He didn't look up from that tiny face as more elves entered the chamber for a glimpse of the newborn baby. 

"Legolas," Gandalf said as he greeted and hugged a tall blond elf. 

Their voices faded as they left the chamber. 

After the last of the elves had filed out, Walter started to bathe the blood and fluids from Mulder's body while Liz stitched close a tear. 

Mulder positioned the baby at his breast and placed his nipple into his son's mouth. At the first taste of milk, Crevan latched onto his mother's breast and started nursing hungrily. Mulder winced from the discomfort, but soon became accustomed to the suckling. 

"Lucky boy," Walter said, looking down at Mulder lustfully. 

"Can we make camp outside?" Mulder asked. "I'd like to sleep under the stars tonight." 

"I'll ask Mac to prepare a shelter for us, where we can stay until you're able to travel." 

"Mac and Methos will want to get back to their children," Mulder said. 

"My dad will be back out tomorrow," Walter said. "He'll be surprised to see his grandson." 

Mulder smiled. Wade had accompanied Jim back there two days ago; this morning Walter had convinced his dad to fly home for food, clean blankets, and a warm robe for Mulder. It would be quite the surprise for the elder Skinner to see his healthy grandson when he returned. 

The world was full of surprises; Mulder thought as he looked up as a group of female elves entered the chamber. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Squirrel 

Monday, June 6, 2005 

A small chartered airplane flew high above the mountains; behind it the large orb of the sun turned the western horizon orange as it started its descent toward nightfall. Lost in thought, Dana Scully gazed out the window of the plane at the Blue Ridge Mountains below. In the distant valley she could see a large structure being built. It stood alone far from the town on the river to the northeast. "What's that?" she asked. 

"It's a watch tower, when it's completed it will stand three-hundred feet tall," the pilot said. "It will be the largest structure for miles around." He had flown many passengers to Holton in recent months, and had become familiar with the area and people. "The town was attacked by a vicious gang of murderers a month ago, and the sheriff commissioned four towers to be built around its outer perimeter to provide an early warning system for the town." 

"I've heard of the sheriff," Bill Scully said. "His tough enforcement of the law is the main reason why this town is prospering." 

"Sheriff Fife is a good man," the pilot said. "So are most of those on his police force ...if you're on the right side of the law." 

"What about the mountain community and Seacouver's?" Monica asked. "Are they safe places?" 

"Even safer than Holton," the pilot said. "They have their own militia and it is rumored that a pack of trained wolves guards the area. Buckle yourselves in we're going to be landing now." 

Scully made sure her son was buckled in. She glanced over at her mother who was sitting next to Monica. Behind her were Bill, Tara, and their seven-year-old son Matthew. They were a few days early, and had radioed Seacouver's over the weekend to change their reservations. 

The woman graciously made the reservation changes and said she'd have a van pick them up at the airport. The airport Scully noted, after the plane had landed, was the type used by crop-dusters for the local farming community. 

"It looks like the inn was good for their word," Bill said, pointing out the van waiting to take them to the inn. "At least we won't have to walk." 

Scully looked towards the van as she carried William off the plane, her son was too tired to walk. Her mouth fell open in surprise. While she knew that the Lone Gunmen were living in the area from what Mulder had written to her in his letters, so seeing Langly wasn't too surprising but seeing the man standing next to him was rather shocking. 

"Dana, you're looking well," Jeffrey Spender said as they walked up to the van. "It's a pleasure to see you again." 

"Agent Spender," Scully said, "I didn't expect to see you here." 

"Just Jeff," Spender said. "I stopped being an agent long before the FBI was destroyed." 

"Do you live around here?" she asked. 

"I live at Frohike's place with Ringo," he said casually. 

"Who's Ringo?" 

"Me," Langly said as he helped Bill load the luggage into the van. "Jeff and I volunteered to pick you up at the airport. We're in the middle of some major construction projects and with the babies and kids the other men and women couldn't get away. You'll have to wait a couple of days before someone from Moonridge Lodge can greet you." 

"Where's Mulder?" Scully asked. 

"He's camping and isn't expected home for a few days." 

Langly wouldn't meet her eyes, so Scully sensed that he was lying or at least not being completely truthful. 

"What about his wife and kids?" 

"His in-laws are taking care of the kids," Langly said. 

"And his wife?" Scully pressed. 

"Camping with him," Langly said quickly, looking as if he was about to burst out laughing. He might have if Spender hadn't elbowed him. 

"Can you at least tell me the name of his wife?" Scully asked as they climbed into the van. 

Langly shook his head as he started the van. "I'm not about to go there, you'll just have to wait to be introduced." 

"You make it sound like some great mystery," Monica said. "I'm here to see John Doggett and his wife Alex, and don't tell me they're camping." 

It started as a barely contained snicker then Langly pulled over to the side of the road. "You drive!" he shouted to Spender as he quickly climbed out of the van and broke down laughing until tears were running down his cheeks. 

He managed to get into the passenger seat still laughing. 

Scully exchanged glances with Monica, she was starting to think they were part of some sort of practical joke. 

"I'm about to lose my patience, blondie," Bill said, "Why don't you answer my sister's question?" 

Spender turned down a mountain road while Langly was still doubled over in the passenger seat laughing, so Spender answered Bill for him. "If you hadn't arrived early, Mulder would have been the one greeting you at the airport. So you are just going to have to wait for two or three days for him to get back." He drove into the inn's parking lot. "We're here." 

A bearded man walked out the front door of the inn and greeted them as they climbed out of the van. 

"I'm Joe Dawson, welcome to Seacouver's," he said. 

"Mr. Dawson, it's a pleasure," Monica said, shaking his hand. 

"Wow, Dad! Look at the waterfalls!" Matthew said and ran across the parking lot for a better view. "This place is awesome!" 

Scully observed that the inn was built in what used to be an old mill. The mill's functioning waterwheel seemed to be providing it with electricity. The sheer beauty of the location was stunning as she looked around. 

"Mr. Dawson, you have a lovely place here," Maggie Scully said. 

"Please call me Joe," he said, taking the suitcases from her. "Let me show you up to your rooms then you can come down to the restaurant. Anton has prepared a special dinner for you." 

Scully was sharing a room with her mom and son. A month ago, she and Monica had ended their brief affair on amicable terms. 

"Joe, do you know Fox Mulder and his wife very well?" Maggie asked. 

Joe looked at them sort of funny. "I know them quite well. I stayed through one winter at Moonridge Lodge and Mulder gave me the old mill and the land it is on to build Seacouver's." 

"Are he and his wife happy together?" Scully couldn't help asking. Deep in the back of her mind, she still harbored hope that she and Mulder could get back together. 

"I've never seen two people more in love," Joe said. "Their fourth baby was born three days ago." 

"I thought they were camping?" Scully said as Joe opened the door to the Liverpool suite and carried their suitcases inside. 

"The baby was born eight weeks premature while they were camping," Joe said. "I'm sure you'll be filled in with all of the details in a few days. For now enjoy the hospitality of Seacouver's." 

Scully looked around the room after Joe had left. "Wow, I'd never have expected something this classy out in the boondocks. It sure beats those flee bag motels Mulder used to book us in when we were partners." 

Maggie smiled. "I'm sure we'll be quite comfortable staying here through the summer." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Bear 

Tuesday, June 7, 2005 

The ancient forest was filled with the joyous songs of birds chirping, while squirrels scampered playfully from tree-to-tree, so different from the gloom that had greeted them when they had first crossed the chasm. The day before, Mac and Methos had headed for home. Then word had reached Skinner that the Scullys had arrived at Seacouver's, so they decided to start for home too, instead of waiting for Fox to fully heal. 

Skinner carried his newborn son in a Bjorn strapped to his broad chest as they walked through the woods. Skinner's father and Gandalf were carrying Fox on a stretcher between them, while Liz walked along beside them. The Elvin prince, Legolas, completed their party, and was scouting ahead. Legolas led them to where, thousands of years earlier, a stone bridge had been erected across the chasm. Despite its age, the bridge appeared to be sturdy. It had been hidden from view by magic. 

Since the elves had awakened from their long slumber, they had started to construct dwellings in the forest. By the waterfalls, Lord Elrond was building a city. Skinner wanted to come back later in the summer to visit them and see what sort of progress they were making. He looked down at the sleeping face of his infant son and smiled. Crevan's little fists were clutching the fabric of his shirt. Skinner thought the baby looked more like him than like Fox. His father had agreed that Crevan was definitely a Skinner. Connor on the other hand was a mixture of both him and Fox. 

Once they had crossed over the stone bridge, they took a short break to have lunch by a stream. Crevan had awoken and was hungry, so Fox took the time to nurse him while lying on his back on the stretcher. 

"You're such a big boy," Fox cooed as their son suckled at his breast. 

Skinner grinned proudly as he watched them. He didn't know why he felt such a sense of pride that his son had been twelve pounds at birth. Crevan's large size was why Fox was still bedridden, he had to be stitched up by Liz and she wanted to stitches to heal for at least a week before she allowed him back on his feet. 

"You're going to have to go to Seacouver's to greet Scully," Fox said, looking up at him. 

"Yeah, I know," Skinner replied with a sigh. "She's not going to be too happy finding out that we're married." 

"Our life together doesn't require her approval," Fox said. "Either she accepts us as a couple or she doesn't." 

"I think she'd take the news better coming from you," Skinner said. He was not looking forward to the pending confrontation. 

"It's your fault," Fox said, "If you would have allowed me to mention you in my letters to her, we wouldn't be dealing with this now." 

"Oh what a tangled web," Liz said. 

"When first we practice to deceive," Wade finished with a chuckle. 

"Maybe someone will spill the beans," Skinner said hopefully. 

"I wouldn't count on it," Fox said, kissing Crevan on the top of his head. "You can change your son's diaper now." 

"They're going to find out about John and Alex before us...." Skinner argued as he lifted Crevan into his arms. 

"You know Alex will conspire to keep Monica and the Scullys at Seacouver's until we get back." 

"The little rat would do something like that," Skinner grumbled as he knelt on the mossy ground to change their son's diaper. He spread a blanket out on the ground and placed Crevan on it then removed his diaper. 

Wade took the soiled diaper from him and washed it in the stream. 

Fox glanced over at Skinner. "Alex has more of a reason than you to want to avoid Scully." 

"What do you mean?" Liz asked. 

Gandalf and Legolas remained quietly listening to them. 

"Alex was directly involved with Scully's abduction back in 1995, and her sister Melissa's murder a year later," Fox said. "She hates him and isn't likely to forgive Alex for the pain he has caused her and her family." 

"You forgave him for murdering your father," Wade said. 

"That's different," Fox replied, "My father was involved in the conspiracy, he wasn't an innocent like Melissa." 

Skinner strapped his son back into the Bjorn. "We'll worry about that when we get home." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Wolf 

Wednesday, June 8, 2005 

The sun was shining brightly overhead as Sandburg drove the UTV down the path to Seacouver's with Connor and Joey riding in the back. It was a pleasant day and the boys were looking forward to having pizza with Naomi and Joe. Sandburg had wanted to get them out of Sonja's hair. She was fixing an elegant dinner to celebrate Fox and Walter's return home with their newborn son. The two men should be arriving later this afternoon. Sandburg couldn't wait to see the baby and meet the wizard. 

Vera and Jimmy were watching Gwen and the twins, while Lilia and Alex took care of the triplets. John and Nicholas were working on the Kryceks' log home with the work crew from Ace Construction Company. A couple of weeks ago, Ranger Smith had flown in three, heavy, cast-iron, woodstoves for the new homes. The ranger had started a collection of woodstoves; whenever he located one he'd buy it and store it in his pole barn. Sandburg really liked the one that Laura had selected; it had pale yellow enamel paint and would be cheerful looking in the kitchen. 

Jack and Marita's place was almost finished, and if they finish early the work crews would divide up between Byers' and the Kryceks' log homes. 

Sandburg drove through the ranger station parking lot, and wondered if Francesca had completed the change yet. The woman was also eleven months pregnant, Laura was monitoring her condition and according to Laura the fetus appeared to be the size of a thirty-eight week old. It was the oddest pregnancy she'd ever encountered. 

Driving into the lot at Seacouver's, Sandburg parked near the stone patio that looked out over the waterfalls. He was going to take the wrought iron steps upstairs to his mother and Joe's place. Sandburg noticed several people on the patio eating lunch as he helped Connor and Joey out of the back. The redhead must be Dana Scully, Fox's ex-partner. They had arrived Monday evening, and according to Joe they were chomping at the bit for information about Fox and John and their wives. 

The guys had all agreed that Walter should have the pleasure of explaining the situation to them. In the meantime, Alex was wondering how he could stay out of sight for three months. 

Joe had seen to it that the Scullys were entertained. According to Naomi, the previous day he'd taken them into Holton and showed them around the town. Afterward they had stopped out at the Doggett farm where Paul had prepared a barbecue for them. Monica had quizzed Paul about John and his wife's whereabouts. Paul had played dumb. Today after lunch Joe was going to take them fishing on the lake down by the Timberlake homes. 

Walter should be out tomorrow to explain everything, so all that Sandburg had to do was stroll by them, smile nicely and get upstairs before they could engage him in conversation. He was not a very good liar. 

Sandburg held the boys' hands as he led them across the patio. "Good afternoon," he said, nodding in greeting as they hurried past Dana Scully. 

"Wait!" she called. "The little boy with you, is he Connor Mulder?" 

"My name is Connor Skinner," Connor corrected her. 

"Ah," Sandburg mumbled, "Come along, Connor, Naomi has lunch waiting for us." 

"Wait just one minute," Scully said, standing and walking over to them. "Connor, what are your parent's names." 

Connor smiled happily, more than willing to answer her questions. "My daddy's name is Fox and my papa's name is Walter." 

"Walter Skinner?" Scully muttered as her face turned pale. 

"Oh my," Mrs. Scully gasped. 

"There you are, Blair," Naomi said, stepping out on the patio from the restaurant. 

"You're Blair?" Scully said, "As in Blair and Jim the couple who are sharing the farm with Mulder?" She was giving him a wide-eyed look that turned angry. "Just what the hell is going on around here?" 

"Mom, can you take Joey and Connor inside for pizza?" Blair asked. "I think I better answer her questions." 

After Naomi had hustled the boys inside, Sandburg took a deep breath. "Maybe we should have a seat," he said to Scully and her family who had gathered around him. "This might take a while to explain." 

"All we want are some answers," the tall, slender brunet said. "I'm Monica Reyes by the way." She quickly introduced the others as they headed over to the table. 

"I'm Blair Sandburg. You've met my mom, Naomi Sandburg," he said, sitting with his back to the waterfalls. "Where to begin?" 

"How about, how you met Fox?" Maggie Scully asked. 

"My partner Jim and I were vacationing at the Timberlake cabins when the aliens attacked. We heard that Cascade was destroyed, so we couldn't go home and decided to stay at the cabin through the winter. With the situation in the country deteriorating we met with Ranger Sean Smith about setting up an area militia. Sean is an old military buddy of Jim's. He told us about Fox and his former FBI work colleagues who were staying with him at Fox's mountain farm and thought they might be interested in joining the militia. 

The next day, we met Walter Skinner at the ranger station and he brought us back to the farm." Sandburg smiled at the memory. "I literally fell in love with the place." 

Scully frowned. "Are Skinner and Mulder involved in a homosexual relationship?" 

"Last Friday was their second wedding anniversary," Sandburg said. "They are in love and extremely happy together." 

"But Mulder isn't gay!" Scully stated flatly. 

"He might not have been when you knew him," Sandburg replied. "The reason he moved to this isolated location was because of what the aliens had done to him. They altered his genetic makeup, turning him into a hermaphrodite. It caused Fox to be more attracted to men than women." 

Mrs. Scully put her hand over her mouth in shock. 

"God," Bill said in stunned incredulity. 

Monica connected the dots. "Did Mulder give birth to his and Skinner's children?" 

"It's a long story one that I'm not going to go into, but I will tell you that Fox just gave birth to their fourth child less than a week ago. It's why he wasn't able to meet you here. Walter was supposed to stop out tomorrow to explain the situation to you. He and Fox won't be home until later this afternoon." 

"What about John and Alex?" Monica asked. "Is Alex a woman or a man?" 

"Man." Sandburg looked at Scully. "You know him ...Alex Krycek." 

Scully shook her head in disbelief. "Mulder wouldn't have anything to do with Krycek, they hate each other. Krycek murdered Mulder's father in cold blood and he was there when my sister was shot." 

"Alex was a deep undercover CIA agent," Sandburg said. "He's not the man you think he was. He and John are in love and they're raising a family together. Anyway, Walter should be out here tomorrow to meet with you then you can decide if you still want to stay through the summer or leave." He stood. "It was nice meeting you." 

Sandburg headed into the restaurant to join his mother for lunch. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Rat 

After feeding the triplets and putting them to bed, Krycek decided to take a break out on the stone patio off the kitchen while he waited for dinner to be ready. The kitchen window was opened so he'd be able to hear the babies if they started to cry. From the patio, he could watch the chickens in the chicken run, the shoats in the pen, and their horses in the small corral, and glimpse the occasional wild animal down by the stream. 

The backyard stunk of farm smells but Krycek preferred it over the front porch during the day. He enjoyed watching the animals. When they had moved in with Fox a handful of years ago, it had taken Krycek a long time to start thinking of this place as being just as much his as Fox's. The farm and the land belonged to all of them equally, land that stretched as far back as the eye could see. 

Lacy, their Australian Border Collie, sat at his feet. She was a good dog, although she seemed to be putting on a little weight. Their four cows and two calves were still out in the alfalfa field. The cows would come home on their own to be milked at sunset; he might have to send Lacy to round up the calves, if they didn't follow their mothers' home. 

Krycek kept glancing toward the path on which Fox and Walter would be coming home. The place hadn't felt the same without them. 

"Hey," John said, coming out the back door with a bottle of ale. He bent down and kissed Krycek before taking the chair next to him. 

"How's my parent's place coming along?" Krycek asked, licking his lips enjoying the taste of ale. 

"Fine," John said. "We got the roof on today, and plan on shingling it tomorrow." 

They had purchased a load of metal shingles from the lumberyard. The shingles looked like normal shingles but would last ten times longer. The men planned on re-shingling their roof and Frohike's later this summer. 

"Any sign of them?" 

"No." Krycek shook his head. "Blair came back from Seacouver's a couple of hours ago. He ran into the Scullys and Reyes. Connor told Scully who his parents were, and Blair filled them in about you and me." 

"We couldn't keep it a secret forever," John said. "I think I'll head down to Seacouver's after dinner and talk to Monica. Do you want to come along?" 

"No," Krycek said, "I'm not in the mood for a confrontation with Scully." 

They both stood when they spotted Walter walking down the path followed by Wade and an older man carrying a stretcher. Liz waved when she spotted them. 

Krycek and John jogged over to greet them. 

"It's about time you got back," Krycek said, looking down at Fox who smiled up at him. 

"We would have been faster if Liz would have allowed me to walk," Fox said. 

John looked at the infant strapped against Walter's chest. "Fox, no wonder you're on a stretcher that baby is Marty's size!" 

Marty was the largest of the triplets, he was five pounds at birth, and was now about twelve pounds. 

"I thought he was going to dislocate my hip when he was born," Fox said. 

"John, Alex, this is Gandalf and Legolas," Walter said as an elf with a bow stepped out of the woods. 

Krycek nodded in greeting. "Sonja is preparing dinner, it should be almost done." 

"Liz, do you think I can sit at the table to eat?" Fox asked. 

"Yes," she said, "I'm going to take the stitches out tomorrow...you're more or less healed but I still want you to take it easy. No heavy lifting, no vaginal sex, and no jogging for at least a month." 

"But I can resume outdoor chores?" Fox asked. 

"Yes." She smiled. "I'm going to head home...I've been away from Mel and Kyle for too long." 

"Thanks for everything, Liz," Walter said, kissing her on the cheek. Then he helped Fox off the stretcher. 

The kitchen window was open, and the aroma of meat roasting rose above the smells of the farmyard. 

"Something smells good," Gandalf commented as they walked into the house through the back door. 

"It's Santa Claus!" Connor shouted when he spotted Gandalf and the other kids joined in, running over to the startled wizard. 

Walter chuckled. "Kids, this is Gandalf, not Santa Claus." 

"But he looks like Santa," Connor protested. 

"I'm not Santa Claus," Gandalf said with a gentle smile, "Whoever he may be." 

"He's a jolly old elf," Joey said. 

Legolas lifted an eyebrow. "I've never heard of him, and I know every elf that's alive today." 

"He lives at the North Pole," Gwen said. 

Fox shook his head and smiled. "Aren't you kids going to greet me, and meet Crevan?" 

"We missed you, mommy," the twins said in unison as they and Connor ran over to hug him. 

Krycek smiled then turned to their guests. "Would you like something to drink?" 

"Ale if you have it," Gandalf said. 

Sonja walked out of the laundry room. "You're finally back! Let me see my grandson," she said, hurrying over to Walter's side. 

Walter took Crevan out of the bjorn and placed him in her arms. The baby was sucking on his fist and looked up at her with blurry-eyes. 

"He's such a big baby." She turned to Fox. "Dear, why don't you and Walter go take a hot shower, while I watch Crevan? Dinner won't be ready for another forty minutes, so you have time to relax." 

"Thanks, mom," Fox said. "I could use a hot shower." 

Walter rubbed at his beard; it had filled out nicely in the two weeks they'd been away. He usually went clean shaven in the summer. 

"Are you going to shave it off?" Fox asked as they headed into their bedroom. 

"No," Walter said, "At least not until after I meet Scully." 

Krycek showed Gandalf and Legolas into the great room. The kids followed fascinated by the wizard. 

Blair and Jim joined them, and Jim made the introductions. 

Sonja sat on the rocking chair with Crevan. "Maybe, our guests would like to wash up before dinner?" she said. "Blair, why don't you show them upstairs to the bathroom?" 

"All right," Blair said. 

As Blair led Gandalf and Legolas up the spiral staircase, Lilia and Nicholas walked into the room from the foyer. They had been upstairs in the loft, their temporary room until their log home was ready for them to move into. 

Krycek looked around at the house full of people. Life around there was never dull. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Fox 

Mulder kissed his daughters and Gwen goodnight as he tucked them into bed. It felt good to be home again--no more adventures for him for a while. He had missed his kids too much and their home. 

"Mommy, can I have Coco Wheats for breakfast?" Aviva asked. 

"Yes, you may," Mulder said. "Pleasant dreams, girls." 

He walked out of the bedroom and down the spiral staircase. Alex had put Gandalf and Legolas in one of the completed bedrooms on the second floor. Walter would be taking Gandalf to Seacouver's with him in the morning and Legolas was going to be heading home. 

Mulder paused in the great room. Alex was sitting in front of the fireplace with his parents. 

"How are you feeling?" Lilia asked. 

"Tired and sore," Mulder replied stifling a yawn. "I heard the construction of your new home was coming along nicely." 

"We're going to be shingling the roof tomorrow," Nicholas said. "Now that Wade is back he can complete the plumbing." 

Walter walked out of the boys' room and hugged Mulder from behind. "C'mon, let's go to bed." 

"Goodnight, see you in the morning," Mulder said. 

"Goodnight," Lilia and Nicholas said. 

They walked into their bedroom and shut the door behind them. Crevan was sleeping in his crib on Mulder's side of the bed. On the dresser Walter had set out a couple of empty baby bottles and the breast pump. 

Walter picked up the pump, and handed it to him. "I figure you can fill a couple of bottles then you can sleep through the night while I get up to feed Crevan." 

"That depends on if you can coax Crevan to drink from a bottle," Mulder said, setting the pump on the mattress and stripping off baggy sweatshirt and pants. His breasts were nearly full again after Crevan's last feeding. He caught Walter staring at them with a hungry look in his eyes. 

"If I were Crevan," Walter said, "I know which I'd prefer." 

Mulder sat on the bed and used the pump, getting hard in the process. 

Afterward, Walter set the filled bottles and the pump on the dresser then knelt between Mulder's legs. He licked the remaining fluid from around each nipple--his beard tickling the sensitive flesh on Mulder's chest. Then Walter went down hungrily on his cock. 

Mulder was far too horny too last for long. With a deep intake of breath, he collapsed on the mattress as Walter brought him to orgasm. 

Licking the semen from his lips, Walter smirked down at him. "I think I prefer this one to suckle upon," he said, running a finger along Mulder's flaccid shaft. He stood and picked up the baby bottles. "I'm going to put these in the refrigerator...don't go anywhere." 

"I don't think I can move even if the house was on fire," Mulder said, staring up at the ceiling. He smiled. God, he loved that man. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Squirrel 

Thursday, June 9, 2005 

"Mommy, can I play with those little boys who were here yesterday?" William asked. 

"It depends," Scully said, glancing down at her four-year-old son. 

She'd been in a state of shock and anxiety since finding out Mulder and their former boss were involved sexually. It was something she never would have expected in a million years--her partner and the surly A.D. Skinner. What could Mulder have seen in him? The Walter Skinner she remembered was a bald middle-aged man who in spite of his broad shoulders was putting on a bit of a paunch. The man would be in his mid-fifties by now, and in her opinion, not the type of person someone would want to start a family with. 

"Depends on what, mommy?" 

"Depends on if I decide to stay," Scully said. 

"Dana, even if you decide to go back to San Diego," Maggie said, "I'm going to stay here through summer." 

"Mom, you'll have no one here for you," Scully said. 

"I don't know about that," Maggie replied, "The people in Holton were quite friendly...what do you think of Paul Doggett?" 

"He was a nice enough man...why?" 

"He's invited me to have dinner with him tonight." 

"Where?" 

"At his place," Maggie said, "He's going to pick me up here tonight at six." 

"Aren't you moving a little bit too quickly?" Scully asked. "You've only just met the man." 

"Dana, we're just having dinner together...we're not eloping." 

There was a knock on the door, and Scully opened it. On the other side was Naomi. 

"Dana, Walter Skinner is out on the patio, waiting to meet with you." 

Scully took a deep breath. "Okay, tell him I'll be right down." 

Naomi paused. "He's a good man and he loves Fox dearly, don't hold their love for each other against them," she said. 

"As far as I know, Skinner took advantage of my partner at a vulnerable time in his life. If what your son said was true, Mulder needed counseling...he didn't need some horny middle-aged man seducing him. I should have known Skinner was gay, I noticed the way he used to look at Mulder and how he protected him." Scully couldn't keep the bitterness from her voice. "Please, just tell him I'll be down," she said and closed the door. 

"Don't be rude, dear," Maggie said. 

"I'm sorry," Scully sighed. "Please, watch William until I get back." She headed out the door and down the hallway to the stairs. Her thoughts were on Mulder, and by the time she made it out to the patio, she had convinced herself that no way would Mulder willingly be in a relationship with Skinner. 

She stopped in her tracks, her mouth hung open in surprise. Skinner didn't look fifty...he looked like he was in his early thirties. She never would have recognized the bearded man as her former boss. He was wearing cut off denim shorts that showed off his muscular thighs and toned calves, he had sandals on his feet. A sleeveless USMC sweatshirt was stretched across his broad chest and tapered down over his slim waist. The muscles in his arms were huge! A baseball cap was on his head and he was wearing sunglasses. His whole body from what she could see was nicely tanned. 

"Scully, you're looking well," he said. 

"Sir, where's Mulder?" she asked, composing herself. 

"At home recuperating," Skinner said, "He gave birth to our fourth child less than a week ago." 

"What have you done to my partner?!" Scully snapped at him. All this talk of Mulder giving birth was a bit too much for her skeptical mind to handle. 

"I haven't done anything to him," Skinner said flatly, "Except love him." 

"I don't believe you! There's no way that he'd have willingly married another man." 

"If you can be civil, you're welcome to come home with me," Skinner said, "But I want your word that you won't upset him." 

"I want to talk to him alone." 

"That won't be a problem," Skinner said. 

"I'll need to bring William along," Scully said. 

"Go get him." Skinner nodded toward the parking lot where a large UTV was parked. "He can either ride on your lap or in the back. It's padded for the kids." 

Scully hurried back into the inn and came out a couple of minutes later with William in tow. 

"He looks like you," Skinner commented. "He's about the same height as Connor." 

"Did Mulder give birth to Connor, too?" she asked, determining that the back of the UTV was nicely padded and the sides high enough so William wouldn't fall out. 

"No, I did," Skinner said. 

She froze and looked at him. With those shorts it wasn't hard to tell that he was well endowed. "You're not a hermaphrodite! How gullible do you think I am?" 

Skinner sighed as he climbed into the driver's seat. "I'll let Fox explain it to you, he's so much better at explaining the paranormal." 

The UTV took them down the road and into the ranger station's parking lot. 

"Mommy, it's a grizzly bear!" William shouted when they passed the chainsaw carving of the bear. 

"My dad carved that statue," Skinner said. "He's carved many along the paths by our farm." 

"Mulder did mention in his letter that his in-laws lived in the area," Scully said. She had the photos of the twins and Connor that Mulder had sent in her wallet along with William's photo. 

"Alex's parents just arrived this spring from Russia," Walter said, "We're building them a log home." 

"How can you tolerate him living with you?" 

"It wasn't easy at first," Skinner confessed, "But he's proven himself to be a loyal and hardworking companion." 

They passed a couple of connected domes. 

"That's our new clinic," Skinner informed her. "Frohike's wife, Liz, and Byers' wife, Laura, are both doctors and wanted a clinic to take care of the people in this area. They are going to have the clinic open Monday through Wednesday for appointments, plus they'll be available for emergencies." 

Scully relaxed as they drove down the path, it was very scenic. Last night John Doggett had stopped out at the inn to visit her and Monica. It was nice seeing him again, even if he had married Alex Krycek, and claimed to have given birth to triplets. 

"Fox has been hoping you'd considering staying here instead of going back to San Diego," Skinner said softly, "I checked with Sheriff Fife and the Holton P.D. could use a head pathologist with your skills. The job is yours if you're interested." 

"Why would you go out of your way to find me a job?" Scully asked suspiciously. 

"I did it for Fox," Skinner said. "You were once his best friend and partner, he misses you." He slowed the UTV as they drove by a log home that was under construction. 

Scully spotted Alex Krycek on top of the roof shingling with three other men. Two more men were installing windows. 

"This is going to be Alex's parent's place." Skinner waved to the men as he drove by. 

"How many homes are up in this area?" she asked. 

"After the three new homes are completed, there will be nine." 

"Mommy! It's Bambi!" William pointed to the stream where a doe and her fawn were drinking. 

Scully smiled for the first time that day. "It is Bambi, William." 

After another three miles, Skinner drove through some bushes out onto the front lawn of a huge log home and parked next to a pole barn. 

Five little girls and two little boys were playing tag in the yard, under the watchful eyes of a ruggedly handsome man with cropped hair. The oldest girl was about William's age, maybe slightly older. Scully recognized Connor from yesterday and the twins from their photograph. 

"Can I play with them?" William asked. 

Scully lifted him out of the UTV. "You can play, if you promise not to go wandering out of the front yard." 

"Don't worry about him," Skinner said, "Jim will keep an eye on him." 

As they strolled over, the kids stopped playing and gathered around Jim. 

"Jim, I'd like you to meet Dana Scully and her son William," Skinner said, introducing them. "Scully, this is Jim Ellison." 

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Jim said. "Fox has told us some interesting stories about the cases you've investigated together." 

"I can imagine," she said, looking at the little kids. "I met Connor yesterday, what are the rest of your names?" 

The kids remained bashful and didn't answer, so Jim introduced them. 

He touched each on their head as he said their names. "Wren Banks, Gwen Krycek, Caroline Byers, the two gigglers are Aviva and Chloe Mulder, and my son Joey Sandburg." 

"My son would like to join in the game if that's all right," Scully said. 

"Of course he can," Jim said. 

"Shall we go inside?" Skinner asked Scully. 

For the first time in a long time, Scully felt apprehension as she followed Skinner up the porch steps and in through a pair of French doors. The room they entered was huge and filled with comfortable looking furniture. 

A young Asian woman was in the kitchen with a much older woman. 

"Mom, are Liz and Laura in with Fox?" Skinner asked. 

"Yes," the older woman said, "They've been in there a half hour, I'm sure they should be done shortly." 

"Scully, this is my mom, Sonja Skinner, and our neighbor Jin Banks, she's Wren's mother." 

"It's nice to meet you," Scully said. Skinner's mother looked young for someone who had to be at least seventy. 

"Likewise," Sonja said. 

"What are you making?" Scully glanced at the bowls on the table. 

"Jin is teaching me how to make dumplings," Sonja said. "I wanted to fix Fox something special for lunch." 

"I'm sure he will be quite happy," Skinner said, "I know I will enjoy them." 

A door opened and two women stepped out then closed the door behind them. One woman was a petite redhead and the other a taller Native American with dark hair. 

"How is he?" Skinner asked. 

"Fine," the redhead said. "I removed the stitches and he's healed nicely." 

"The baby's in top health," the other one said. 

Skinner sighed in relief. "Liz, Laura, I'd like to introduce Dana Scully," he said, "Scully, these are Doctors Liz Frohike and Laura Byers." 

Scully shook their hands. "Skinner pointed out your clinic on the way over here." 

"We're going to have the grand opening celebration the first week in July," Liz said. "If you have time you're welcome to attend. Fox mentioned you were a doctor." 

"I'd like to attend," Scully said, startled that everyone seemed to call Mulder by his hated first name. 

"I'm going to check on Fox," Skinner said, ducking into the room Liz and Laura had come out of. 

The kitchen had a warm and homey feeling to it. Scully had to admit so far this wasn't what she had expected. At least the men had someone available to cook for them and their children. Scully couldn't imagine Mulder or the other men being too adept at cooking or household chores. 

Liz helped herself to a cup of coffee from the percolator on the woodstove then sat at the counter, making herself right at home. Laura had walked outside to check on her daughter. 

"Can I get you a cup of coffee or tea, Dana?" Sonja asked. 

"Coffee would be nice." Scully sat at the counter and turned to Liz. "So how has Frohike been?" 

"Mel's fine, he's working on John and Laura's new log home," she said. "He's really enjoying fatherhood." 

"Where is your baby?" Scully asked, remembering Mulder had mention that Liz was pregnant with her and Frohike's first child in one of his letters. 

"John Doggett, Alex's mother, Lilia, and Walter's niece Vera and sister-in-law, Maria, have taken Kyle and the triplets for a buggy ride around the lake," Liz said. 

Scully knew from last night that the triplets were John and Alex's children. She was still skeptical about John giving birth to them. He did not look like a hermaphrodite. 

It sounded like the men had a lot of their extended family members living in the area. It was strange that it started as only Mulder living there and in such a short time family members from across the country had moved there. Picking up the coffee mug, she took a sip. 

The door opened again and Skinner stepped out carrying a baby, followed by Mulder who was dressed in shorts and sandals, and he wore a loose-fitting, sleeveless, denim shirt over them. Like Skinner, he looked a lot younger than when she'd last seen him--beautiful even. She stood. 

"Scully." Mulder smiled and walked over and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry I wasn't here when you arrived. I hope your plane trip here was all right." 

"It was fine." Scully looked at the baby in Skinner's arms. "Is this one yours?" 

"Yeah, believe it or not," Mulder said. "Crevan Skinner Mulder. All of our kids have either mine or Walter's last name for a middle name, depending on which one of us was the father." 

"Can we go somewhere that we can talk in private?" Scully asked. 

"Walter mentioned you wanted a private conversation with me." Mulder smiled softly. "He's not holding me captive, Scully. I married him of my own freewill. Walter's fulfilled everything I've ever wanted in life." 

"Even so, I'd still like to talk to you alone," Scully said clearly shaken by the love she could see in her former partner's eyes when he looked at Skinner. 

"Okay," Mulder said, "Walter, we'll be down at the teahouse." 

"Lunch will be ready in an hour," Sonja said. "Steamed dumplings and wonton soup." 

"We'll be back for lunch, mom," Mulder said. 

Mulder led her out the back door. In the backyard were a barn, chicken coop, stables and corral, and a small pig pen. They walked past a workshop and she noted the greenhouse that was attached to the log home. 

"Mulder, you mentioned that you had a small farm, but this place is really something." 

"It's gotten larger since Walter and the other men moved in with me," Mulder said as they walked along a path through a flower and herb garden. The path entered a grove of black walnut and pine trees. A moon bridge spanned a small stream and on the other side was a Japanese garden complete with a teahouse. 

"It's beautiful here," Scully said. 

"Walter and I were married in this garden," Mulder said. 

"How could you marry him?" 

"I love him...he completes me." 

"Blair Sandburg said you were a hermaphrodite, is that true?" 

"Yes." Mulder sat on a stone bench in the garden. "I wrote you that the aliens had abducted me again, it was why I left. I needed to be alone to deal with what they had done to me. It took me a while to accept having both male and female reproductive organs. I finally realized that it didn't make me less of a man only a more complete person. I love my life here, my children, my husband, and my friends. I would hope you could find it in yourself to be happy for me." 

"I wish you would have mentioned this in a letter to me," Scully said bitterly. 

"I'm sorry, I couldn't put this in a letter," Mulder said, "We couldn't chance it falling into the wrong hands." 

Scully sat next to him on the bench. "If he truly makes you happy then I'm happy for you. I'll admit to being disappointed that I no longer have a chance of any romantic relationship with you." 

Mulder turned to look at her. "Walter was jealous of our past relationship. He probably wouldn't want to know that you came here hoping to rekindle our brief relationship." 

"He has nothing to worry about," Scully said. "He mentioned that he found me a job in Holton as the head pathologist for the Holton P.D." 

"Do you think you might consider taking it?" Mulder asked. 

"Joe Dawson gave us a tour of Holton on Tuesday," Scully said. "I liked what I saw, the town was quaint and the people friendly. It would be a good place to raise William. I'm going to talk to the Sheriff about the position then make up my mind after discussing it with my mom and brother." 

"It will be so nice having you back in my life," Mulder said, giving her another hug. "I've missed you." 

"Me, too." Scully returned the hug. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Cat 

Friday, June 10, 2005 

The woods were dark along the road as Amanda drove the motorcycle into the overflowing parking lot. She felt the presence of more than one immortal, and knew that her assumption had proven correct. When she was in Minneapolis, she had heard about this place from a blue's guitarist who was heading down to audition for a job at a blue's bar in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The place was called Seacouver's. 

Putting Joe Dawson's two loves together, Amanda concluded that there was better than even chance that he was the proprietor of Seacouver's Blue's bar. If Joe owned this place then there was a possibility that a certain Highlander might be hanging around. 

Still she was cautious as she approached the door leading into Seacouver's. A branch snapped behind, she spun, sword in hand, and smiled at her startled former lover. 

"Oh, it's you," another voice grumbled to her left. 

"It's nice to see you too, Methos," she said not taking her eyes off Duncan's face. 

"Hi, Amanda," Duncan said. "Welcome to Seacouver's." 

"Are you going to invite me inside for a drink?" Amanda asked, smiling. 

"Would you like a drink?" He held open the door for her, and the three of them entered the noisy bar and a new chapter of their relationship. 

~x~X~x~ 

End of Chapter Thirty: Reunions 

Coming soon Chapter Thirty-one: 

  * 122 - 



  
 

* * *

Post a comment  
or read posted comments on this story. 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Series Name:   **X-Patrol**  
Title:   **X-Patrol: Chapter 30 – Reunions**   
Author:  Jo B   [email/website]   
Details:   **Series**  |  **NC-17**  |  **308k**  |  **03/14/06**   
Pairings:  Mulder/Skinner  |  Doggett/Krycek | Sandburg/Ellison | MacLeod/Methos | Fraser/Vecchio/Kowalskie | Langly/Spender   
Category:  Story, Relationship, Male Pregnancy, Crossover  |  The Sentinel/Highlander/Due South/Homicide LOTS/Lord of the Rings   
Summary:  Krycek is reunited with his parents after thirty-three years, and other characters are reunited with people from their past.   
  
  
[top of page] 


End file.
